Examines the benefits of the Accelerated Reader program on English-as-a-second-language fourth and fifth grade students in a school in rural West North Carolina. Notes that anecdotal records provided evidence of improvement in students' reading behaviors and attitudes toward reading. Shows that while there was only a moderate overall increase in…

Refutes the sequential, building-block theory of cultural literacy which advocates mastery of a prescribed body of cultural knowledge. Argues that teachers must help students find joyful encounters with words which will knock their socks off and inspire them both to search for understanding and to reach for another book. (SR)

Students in the United States do not read well enough (Showers, Joyce, Scanlon, & Schnaubelt, 1998). While the National Assessment of Educational Progress (2003) reports an encouraging upswing in 8th-grade students' reading performance from 1992 to 2003, this fact does not stem the tide of practical concerns voiced by teachers and community…

This article reports the results of a study examining the reading attitudes of the Russian people. This study also investigates the motives that guide adults in their choice of literature. Researchers have noted that two motives stand out: (1) "normative" or "pragmatic" reading (for school, exams, and reports; for carrying out…

A study was conducted to verify and extend the limited research on children's home reading. Subjects, 26 third- and 40 fifth-grade students from two elementary schools were asked to respond to questions concerning their home reading habits and were also interviewed. Data analysis revealed a significant difference between high- and low-ability…

Introduces reading research from Great Britain, Sweden, and Australia. Discusses three conclusions from this literature particularly relevant to college reading specialists. (SR)

Examines the reading experiences of six African-American middle school girls. Finds that their book selection processes were different than those proposed by the professional multicultural education literature; they found affirmations, support, solutions, and decision-making skills in their reading; and that what mattered were the connections the…

Examines the real-world literacy contexts in which children find themselves. Discusses research at multiple sites over five years looking at how teachers struggle day by day to work out how to acknowledge and build on the language and cultural diversity of the students in their schools. Explores and illustrates four distinct "constructions" of…

Uses the metaphor of the "literacy club" to illustrate the re-making of three fifth-grade readers. Describes three children in jeopardy of being excluded from the literacy club and the steps that they and their teachers took. Looks at how their teachers started where the students were, used a variety of assessment measures, and offered supportive…

Examines the discrepancies in engagement that arose when the teachers' instructional and the students' personal stances (regarding the intents and purposes of literacy) are misaligned during literacy events. Discusses the ways in which instructional and personal stances encourage and/or discourage engagement. Considers the opportunity to construct…

Presents four case studies to examine how first and second graders worked together using source texts to write their own informational books. Concludes that all four pairs of students were successful in many ways. Notes how the students saw themselves as experts, and were able to see firsthand how important reading and writing were in their…

This research aimed at exploring the motivation for reading of pupils with dyslexia, and to investigate whether they differ from their peers. A total of 32 pupils formed the LD group (22 boys and 10 girls, 5th- and 6th-graders) who were diagnosed with dyslexia. A comparison group was formed of pupils who attended the same classes (N = 210), and…

A study evaluated the effect software for self-assessment and management of reading practice had on reading achievement and motivation in two primary schools in Aberdeen, Scotland. The program utilized was The Accelerated Reader (AR) which was designed to enable curriculum based assessment of reading comprehension within the classroom. Students…

Learning to Read Through the Arts offers intensive reading instruction to Chapter I eligible students through the integration of a total reading program with a total arts program. In 1983-84, the program was offered to a total of 625 general education students, 140 bilingual students, and 100 special education students (all in grades 2-6). Reading…

Illustrates how a struggling third-grade reader named Maddie used her own writing as a logical place for beginning to become a reader. Describes how her teacher built on Maddie's strengths and immersed her in meaningful activities in order to promote a positive attitude toward reading which became the foundation for her acquisition of reading…