Explores how social constructions of gender, race, and class were evident in three adolescent boys' literacy practices. Suggests each boy enacted his literacies in different ways, suited to his own subjectivities, rather than using traditional male hegemonies. Concludes that considering individuals' enactments of gender, race, and class may be…

Argues, based on ethnographic data, that students use their literacy practices to form their identities within, and sometimes in opposition to, the figured worlds of school, work and family. Concludes that many students look to school to provide formal literacy experiences, but find their reading and writing passions at odds with the demands of…

The acceptability and effectiveness of a professional continuing education course using independent study of professional journal articles to fulfill mandatory continuing education requirements is examined. Results show the course to be a satisfactory method of independent study and acceptable to pharmacists of all practices, experience, or…

Notes that "manga"--Japanese comics--constitute the most popular kind of reading material in Japan. Discusses the skills needed to read manga. Surveys 297 Japanese college students. Suggests that many manga readers can be considered engaged readers as they are highly motivated and have developed a range of strategies to help them…

Examines the literary practices four children chose to engage in outside of their inner-city school located in Sheffield, England. Suggests that children use literacy in richly diverse ways for purposes they see as meaningful. Concludes that while literacy presented by these children reflected community literacy practices, children also acted with…

Examines, using qualitative methods, targeted fourth-grade at-risk children in a culturally diverse elementary school in a mid-sized city in the southwestern United States. Describes the nature of social interactions within the context of tutorial sessions. Identifies common characteristics of highly effective tutors in their interactions with…

Challenging the common image of reading as a solitary activity, this article describes the social settings in which young people participated in the print culture of a late 19th-century small midwestern town. Analysis of library borrowing records shows that both adults and youth read "low" fiction, shared titles, and engaged in a common culture,…

Considers literacy survey findings of year 7 students who had experienced difficulties with reading. Highlights the range of texts and events that these students chose to engage with outside school and the mismatch between home and school literacy. Suggests a need to go beyond the traditional reading test to uncover the texture of literacy…

PIRLS is the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study. This rigorous international survey compares the reading attainment and attitudes to reading of over 200,000 9- and 10-year-old children in 41 countries. It is the only international study to provide information on the reading habits of primary-aged children: the survey collects…

This paper focuses on book-centered and "non-book" children and the role of the Internet in changing literature and children's reading habits. Highlights include diversity in children's books; differing magazine readership across the continents; the concept of narrative; the problem of book-centered children becoming outsiders in a more…

In an effort to provide maximum support for the reading success of its students, a primary school in a rural, coal mining area simultaneously developed a family reading program and a sustained silent reading (SSR) program. The major objective of the family reading program was to encourage parents to read to their children for 15 minutes a day,…

Suggests reasons why a sustained silent-reading program failed to work at a San Diego high school. (JT)

Interviews owners and managers of children's bookstores around the country. Presents their ideas about how to promote literacy learning among children, including programs for child advocacy, parent education, teacher education, and community outreach. Offers insights about a variety of influences on reading development. Suggests some ways that…

Reports on a study of grade 6 reluctant readers, identifying factors that served as barriers to the students' voluntary reading habits, finding them varied and complex. Points to several areas in which schools can promote voluntary reading, including choices in instructional reading, opportunities to read for enjoyment, and access to high-interest…

Discusses "Earning by Learning," a program designed to increase reading attitudes of academically at-risk children by combining two strong motivational factors: cash rewards and adult attention/approval. Tests the program's success with second and third graders at a site in Georgia. Finds overall success in frequent book reading,…