In the mystery genre, the one characteristic that the enduring figures of Sherlock Holmes, Nancy Drew, and Encyclopedia Brown have in common is a rational mind. The source of their strength is their ability to think and think well. A study examined some typical examples of the mystery genre in young adult literature and surveyed children and…

Notes certain disquieting trends that affect the publication and the reading of children's books; discusses a number of reasons why children read, including for information, to please adults, for instant gratification, for illumination of self, for escape, and for reassurance and deep satisfaction of a vicarious triumph. (GT)

Aspects of reading motivation and the amount and breadth of reading done were studied with 105 fourth and fifth graders. Children's reading was found to be multidimensional, and their motivation predicted reading amount and breadth even when previous amount and breadth were controlled. Intrinsic motivation was a better predictor than extrinsic…

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…

The whole language approach offers many opportunities for enhancing and effectively using multicultural literature in diverse settings. Recently many English teachers have been away from the traditional canon and including in their reading lists literature by writers who represent various ethnic and cultural groups. However, censorship has become…

Reading professional literature may be undertaken without a large investment of time or money, yet it still provides a way to increase one's professional knowledge and maintain competencies. To be successful in one's reading, the adult education practitioner needs to consider three aspects of a professional reading program: finding the time,…

A study examined the relationship between reading interest and achievement of male disabled readers. Subjects, 30 males aged 8 to 12 years and identified as disabled readers, were selected from a metropolitan school district in central Oklahoma. Subjects completed a reading interest questionnaire and a standardized reading test. The five subjects…

This study was conducted to determine how well the Degrees of Reading Power (DRP) correctly identifies children who are experiencing reading difficulties and to describe more precisely the characteristics of children who have been identified as poor readers so that program planners can design more effective remedial instruction. The DRP and…

An investigation examined student-generated texts in terms of both traditional and more theoretically valid readability to determine what factors influence comprehension when children read their own, peer, and adult-written texts. Seventy dictated stories created in an earlier study, along with 4 first-grade level stories from the "Reader's…

A survey of adult active readers showed that those learning to read before starting school were influenced by parents who read to them, who read themselves for enjoyment, or who owned many books. The public library was also a critical influence. Classroom teachers can have more influence on their students' reading habits by showing that they…

Research on reading interests suggests (1) that interest leads to knowledge, which leads in turn to increased comprehension, and (2) that high interest materials are more easily comprehended than are low interest materials by virtue of the knowledge this interest has generated. The 3-D approach to classroom reading instruction and management…

Readability formulas can be useful tools in accomplishing their primary purpose--to give very general estimates of difficulty. Unfortunately, there has been a great deal of misunderstanding regarding their use, which has resulted in misuse and abuse. The formulas were designed to be applied post hoc to existing materials. They were not intended to…

In contrast to the rigid forms of scientific textbooks and research reports, the examples of scientific writing discussed in this paper demonstrate a regard for human values within science and provide a rationale for introducing students to a variety of scientific writing as part of their educational experience. The paper states that not all…

A study explored the relationship of interest in story content, external incentives, and reading level to elementary school children's reading performance. The subjects, 75 fifth grade students who were either average or below-average readers, were asked to rate the content of five stories from "most" to "least" interesting and were then assigned…

A study was conducted to determine whether students' preferences for reading or for viewing television were related to the quality of their leisure reading choices. The families of 198 fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students were asked to complete television and reading logs for four weeks. Sixty-six students were identified from this sample as…