Surveys teachers nationwide to determine their level of commitment as readers, as well as to establish their use of recommended literacy instructional practices. Finds a significant linear relationship between teachers who read personally and their use of recommended literacy practices in their classrooms; and significant results regarding…

Argues that conversations about books should be everyday occurrences in classrooms. Suggests that busy reading teachers try retellings. Includes a sample lesson. (RS)

Examines conditions under which readers experience intense engagement in a text, termed "optimal experience" or "flow." Reports on two studies examining flow during reading. Concludes that (1) texts for pleasure reading or interest reading provided more flow; (2) fiction was more likely to produce flow than nonfiction; and (3)…

Describes the Motivation to Read Profile (MRP), which assesses children's self-concepts as readers and the value they see in reading. Discusses its development and offers suggestions for its use with elementary students. Includes the MRP. (SR)

The Motivation to Read Profile (MRP) is a public-domain instrument designed to provide teachers with an efficient and reliable way to assess reading motivation qualitatively and quantitatively by evaluating students' self-concept as readers and the value they place on reading. The MRP consists of two basic instruments: the Reading Survey (a…

This paper presents the seven assessment instruments used by the Student Literacy Corps project at Fitchburg State College, Massachusetts, to document tutee progress and tutor assessment. The paper includes: (1) the Flippo Interest Inventory (for assessing tutee's attitudes toward reading); (2) instructions for the tutor to give to students on how…

Addressing teacher educators, this paper describes the importance of story as a reflective teaching tool, and provides brief annotations of 11 children's picture books (published between 1989 and 1998) which have reading as a critical story element. The children's picture books listed in this paper can be used to assist teachers in analyzing their…

A study investigated various developmental relationships between the attitudes of students toward reading and their reading achievement, with the intention of providing additional information concerning attitudes and attitude testing within school programs. Subjects, 876 students in grades 1 through 8 from a white, middle-class rural community,…

This report examines the nature of the modern basal reader, its economics, and use. First, the report provides a history showing how the confluence of business principles, positivistic science, and behavioral psychology led to the transformation of reading textbooks into basal readers. Next, the report examines objectives and subjective factors…

Concludes that about 10 percent of stories in a basal series (grades one through eight) showed a character reading something for either information or pleasure, but seldom as an important part of daily life. Argues that basals could set a better model of the value of reading. (FL)

Most educators recognize the importance of home-school connections, especially for the development of engaged and enthusiastic readers. This collection of 33 articles published in "The Reading Teacher" from 1993 to 1999 presents the "best of the best" classroom-tested ideas and approaches for increasing student motivation for…

Notes that the terms "interest" and "preference" are often used interchangeably in reading research. Points out that both the sources and uses of data are clearer when the differences in the two terms are emphasized. (FL)

Reviews research concerned with factors contributing to the reading success and failure of children. (FL)

Concludes that branched stories, which involve the reader actively in a story, can produce better attitudes toward reading on the part of elementary school students than stories from basal readers. (FL)

Discusses the methodology and results of a study in which elementary school children were questioned before and after a series of tutoring sessions about how they would teach their children to read. After tutoring, the students showed increased recognition of the importance of reading aloud and using interesting materials. (HTH)