Conversations are the heart of responsive teaching. By talking with struggling learners, teachers can find out about their interests in order to design effective, personalized instruction; build relationships; work through complexities in teaching and learning; and celebrate successes.

Discusses responses to surveys about reasons for reading and notes that, when asked for reasons why they read, most people say they read for knowledge or pleasure, but when answers are explored in depth people show considerable variation in their purposes for reading. (MKM)

A survey by the Book Industry Study Group found that nearly all Americans do some reading. (MKM)

Reviews the literature in the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) on developing personal reading interests and habits. (RB)

Examines poetry preferences of young children from a historical perspective and from a recent study conducted by the authors. Makes recommendations for building bridges to lasting poetry interest. (SR)

Pays tribute to comic books as sources of real enjoyment for children. (TO)

Discusses the results of a survey of children's reading interests classified by age and by sex within age levels. (TO)

Discusses several books listing and discussing children's books and selection practices. Most of the lists include annotations. (TO)

Describes an inservice program designed to introduce elementary school teachers to good professional journals and to demonstrate to them methods of efficient and flexible reading of the journals so that they can find the most interesting ideas in a short period of time. (FL)

Describes a program in which groups of middle school and junior high teachers read and discuss popular, best-selling literature, for the purposes of promoting their personal reading and enhancing school faculty camaraderie. (PRA)

Describes the successful implementation in a Georgia elementary school of the Reading Millionaires Project, a reading incentive program to promote recreational reading and to create student interest in reading. (SR)

Argues that elementary school students need more experience with nonfiction reading materials. Describes how teachers can promote this by reading to children every day; systematically including nonfiction books, magazines, and other materials; encouraging children to include nonfiction reading during their daily silent reading time; and making…

Shows that students' voluntary reading could be increased through programs heavy in literary activities, supported by well-designed classroom library corners. Also indicates that teachers' attitudes changed as a result of their participation in the study. (FL)

Examines the influence of parents on the development of their children's reading skills and habits and examines some specific aspects of the home environment that are closely related to reading. Concludes that parents have an important contribution to make, both to the development of reading skills and encouraging the leisure reading habit. (HOD)

Describes a school district's efforts to make teachers, parents, and students more aware of the importance and fun of reading. (RL)