Thirty-three first grade classrooms in Georgia were observed to determine the state of language experience instruction and to examine whether such instruction makes a difference in students' awareness of the reading purpose, their knowledge of instructional terminology, their reading attitudes, and their reading achievement. The Allen Level of…

One approach to preparing kindergarten children for beginning reading combines a meaningful print environment with active student involvement in the learning process. The environment of the classroom from the beginning exposes children to meaningful printed words and symbols. Children use name tags not only for identification but also as a way for…

A study investigated the influence of classroom experience on theoretical beliefs about reading as evidenced over a full year elementary classroom internship in a laboratory school setting. Five interns (three females who had just received their bachelors degrees and two males who held masters degrees and were engaged in other occupations prior to…

This paper provides insight into the history and growth of the National Reading Research Center (NRRC), that was charged to engage in research aimed at improving the reading proficiency of all students and to develop a broad, comprehensive model of reading acquisition that integrates the various cognitive, social, motivational, cultural, and…

The National Language and Literature Development Agency (Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka) in Malaysia promotes literacy and reading through publishing, book promotion, book distribution, extension programs, writing incentives, and maintenance of a special library. The article signals a need for the understanding of reasons why interest in reading has not…

A writing instructor recalls that her own early literacy experiences were inextricably tied to particular times and places, and to the ideologies mediated by familiar institutions--schools, libraries, home. Students' literacy development is thus shaped by what some psychologists refer to as "developmental environments." In recent years,…

A study examined what factors made content area literacy learners have positive or negative attitudes toward reading at various stages and what sociocultural dimensions influenced positive or negative attitudes toward reading. Subjects, 35 Hawaii students and 18 mainland students, completed an autobiography assignment as part of a required content…

A study investigated Swedish students' attitudes about the point of being able to read. Subjects were 53 Swedish students in grades 5 and 8. Their answers were distributed into three categories: a survival and participation perspective; a dynamic-instrumental perspective; and a personal experience perspective. Regardless of performance level, most…

This publication recounts the childhood experiences of one boy at the Tennessee School for the Blind and his use of braille and talking book library services. It also describes his frustration at the rationing of braille reading materials at the school, and how his enormous appetite for reading material led him to "beat" the school's…

Reading as a pastime is basic to creativity and intellectual mind expansion as well as to the appropriate development of listening skills. Reasons for the decline of listening and communication skills can be attributed in part to misuse of media, to latch-key children, to decreased support from parents for reading at home, to lack of sufficient…

To identify the profile of the active older reader, indepth taped interviews were conducted with 23 retired individuals for whom reading was an important part of daily living experience. Demographic data indicated that the highest education level attained varied from grammar school to a master's degree. Developmentally, the lifetime reader…

Matching teaching strategies and classroom environment to students' learning preferences has been found to be related to students' self-concept and achievement. By identifying the learning and reading style of each student, the teacher will increase the youngster's chances of being successful, thus having a positive effect on the child's…

Elementary school children were questioned about what and why they read. The 20 children, four each from kindergarten and grades one, three, four, and six, included 12 boys and 8 girls. The teachers were asked to send two good readers and two poor readers from each grade, without indicating which children were good or poor readers. During…

A study investigated the diversity of reading behaviors reported by 3,354 middle-aged (45-64) and older (65 and older) Canadian readers in response to a questionnaire on reading habits. The study coupled the amount of time spent reading with a "breadth" score based on the variety and frequency of books read. Based on the subjects' time…

A study was conducted to determine the effect of the direct and systematic teaching of the nature, purpose, and language of instruction of reading on first grade children's knowledge of this information, on their attitudes toward reading, and on their reading achievement. Subjects were 60 first grade students randomly assigned to one of two…