Discusses children's rights and the importance of the right to read. Topics addressed include the empowerment of children through free access to information and knowledge through reading about today's society; unstructured reading; and the importance of full and adequate funding for school libraries. (LRW)

Sustained silent reading programs have many names, but share similar guidelines. Students read for enjoyment for an uninterrupted time daily, choose their own books and whether to finish them, observe teachers modeling good reading habits, and are not required to take tests or write book reports on their reading. (9 references) (MLH)

Three developments lend support to the idea that schools must help teach study skills: (1) advances in cognitive psychology that suggest children are active learners; (2) society's concern for at-risk students; and (3) growing demands for improved student performance. There is evidence that systematic study skills instruction does improve academic…

This resource packet presents information on youth literacy in three main sections. The first section presents statistics on literacy; facts about literacy; reading in Indiana middle, junior, and senior high schools; and family reading. The packet's second section contains a bibliography and resources, offering a reading and literacy bibliography,…

Student logs of what they read outside of teacher directed instruction in reading give good indications of the types of materials to be included in survival or functional reading instruction. (MKM)

Research has shown that reading ability is positively correlated with the extent to which students read recreationally. Educators are increasingly encouraging their students to read and write on their own, outside of school. Changes in the frequency with which students (in grades 4, 8, and 11 in studies conducted from 1984 through 1994) read and…

Born of a high school English teacher's frustration with his students' attitudes about books, this book presents, verbatim, nearly 50 letters sent to the teacher in response to his letter to the editor of the "San Francisco Chronicle" asking readers to write about their experiences with books and the role that books and literature played in their…

A dozen recommended steps for organizing and running book fairs that develop student reading habits and reading interests. (RL)

Emphasizes that reading is a whole person process based on understanding the message rather than on isolated skills. (MKM)

Discusses why it is important for teachers to demonstrate positive reading/thinking behaviors throughout the school year. Discusses five examples of such demonstrations in the classroom. (SR)

Argues that the "good" reader in school, who has mastered reading skills, does not offer a natural starting point for progression to the "good" reader of adulthood who is an active and voracious reader. Stresses that reading in school needs to reflect reading attitudes and behaviors of "good" adult readers. (RS)

Opportunities for parents to encourage reading in the family are noted and ways to enhance the reading experience are discussed, including writing letters to book characters, singing combined with reading aloud, supplementing school subjects with enjoyable reading, sharing books at family gatherings, and using family experiences for book…

Argues that, in addition to teaching reading skills, teachers need to schedule time for children to practice reading. Presents specific guidelines for implementing a Sustained Quiet Uninterrupted and Independent Reading Time (SQUIRT) program which include how to find time, set a purpose, and set procedures. (NH)

This monograph offers a progress report on reading in America. The monograph considers the idea that contemporary research indicates that competent readers are constructive and discusses reading habits of adults and children, data on 17-year-olds from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, reading instruction, reader response theory, and…

A study compared types of activities associated with the Newspaper in Education (NIE) program with current newspaper reading habits through a survey of 263 respondents under the age of 40 who took part in an NIE program during their school days. Results of the telephone survey indicated that participation in NIE and length of participation were…