Reports that inner city remedial reading students self-selected traditional fairy tales over more contemporary stories available to them. Cites the work of Bruno Bettelheim and Karen Zelan, who suggest that these children select such materials to find intrinsic meaning. Argues that reading aloud to children is a valuable if not necessary means of…

Explores the enormous attraction for young readers of series books (such as Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and currently "The Baby-Sitters Club"). Discusses what children might learn from such reading, often thought of as pap literature by adults. (SR)

Examines R.L. Stine's "Goosebumps" series, and investigates why children (including the author's two daughters) like them. Explores the lures of the horror fiction genre. Suggests that the attractiveness of the genre can be found in books more rewarding in literary terms, such as those by John Bellairs. Offers suggestions about the…

Considers how singular views of formations of the self as either identity or subjectivity create problems for understanding the complex interrelations between the two concepts within critical literacy. Uses the popular culture literacy practices of an adolescent male to illustrate how differences in conceptualizations of identity and subjectivity…

This study investigated changing attitudes toward reading among elementary and secondary teacher candidates participating in in-class book group discussions in an introductory language and literacy course taught by two instructors in a medium-sized state teacher education program. Qualitative methods focused on both students' weekly self-reports…

Using published research studies, writings of experts in the literacy field, and anecdotes from the author's own experiences, this article examines the reading motivation and disposition of preservice teachers and suggests ways that children's literature courses positively affect both. Ideas of social modeling, constructivist course design, and…

Due in part to conflicting opinions and research results, the practice of sustained silent reading (SSR) in schools has been questioned. After a frustrating experience with SSR, the author of this article began a data-driven decision-making process to gain new insights on how to structure silent reading in a classroom, including a comparison…

Notes problems in measuring attitudes about reading, critically examines some existing measures, and discusses the relevancy of such measures for classroom use. (GT)

Investigates the thoughts, judgements, and beliefs concerning literacy of two non-reading adults, parents of a son having reading difficulties. Discusses what was influential in improving the parents' willingness to attempt reading, and what happened as their perceptions of literacy evolved and changed. (SR)

Describes the organizational framework and implementation of a literature-based reading program with basal themes for a combination of students in grades five and six. Discusses students' attitudes towards the program, which were very positive. (SR)

Investigates how the writing of some Year 6 children was influenced by exposure to the work of a contemporary author of children's literature and through reading a variety of fairy stories, tales and nursery rhymes. Concludes the children's awareness of story structure resulted in thought-provoking short stories with intertextual references. (PM)

This study investigated changing attitudes toward reading among elementary and secondary teacher candidates participating in in-class book group discussions in an introductory language and literacy course taught by two instructors in a medium-sized state teacher education program. Qualitative methods focused on both students' weekly self-reports…

This article is an exploration of the relationship between Australian soldiers and wartime libraries in the First and Second World Wars. It examines the way soldiers, as readers, used a variety of libraries, including those of charitable organizations, the education libraries organized by military authorities, and the libraries formed in Prisoner…

This study evaluated a model of reading skills among early adolescents (N=174). Measures of family history, achievement, cognitive processes and self-perceptions of abilities were obtained. Significant relationships were found between family history and children's single-word reading skills, spelling, reading comprehension, orthographic processing…

Children's voluntary reading positively correlates with school grades, vocabulary growth, reading comprehension, verbal fluency, general information, and attitudes towards reading. Drawing on qualitative interviews collected alongside six waves of longitudinal survey data in an urban setting in eastern USA, We argue that voluntary reading by…