Findings from a number of studies of the reading interests and habits of British secondary school students are reviewed, and the results of a new survey of the opinions of 55 teachers are briefly reported. The studies indicate that a number of "classic" texts are popular but that "subliterature" is also popular and becomes more…

Discusses children's literature in terms of (1) children's responses to it, (2) its literary tradition, and (3) its benefits to children and adults. (VJ)

Recommends reading aloud to students or having them read aloud themselves as a way of stimulating their interest in what they are reading about and in reading itself. (JL)

Teachers must make changes in their reading programs that reflect a desire for students to compose lives in which reading matters. Strategies presented include getting serious about independent reading, building a literate environment, making every child bookish, setting up reading partnerships, and ideas for home-school reading support. (SM)

Reviews research on students' attitudes toward reading. Argues that, given more free reading time and more choice about what to read, students are more likely to form the habit of lifelong reading. (SR)

Reports on a survey of the leisure reading of 700 teenagers in rural North Carolina which collected data on reading for pleasure, types of materials selected, favorite authors and books, differences in interests of boys and girls, reasons for reading, and how respondents find out about books. Implications for teachers and library media specialists…

Presents a debate between two English teachers (in the form of a critique of a March 1997 article in this journal, a response to that critique, and a rebuttal of that response) on the classics, student choice in reading, and teaching. (SR)

Secondary school reading teachers are confronted with the goal of enticing adolescents to a lifelong appreciation of books. Unfortunately, teaching the "classics" of literature frequently entails stylistic enrichment and understanding of literary devices, something of a "bottom-up" approach, that turns many students away from…

There are many critical problems that are influencing the status of literature and the teaching of literature in the United States today, according to this paper. Some of the problems cited are the poor quality of recent best selling books; the smaller number of people who read books compared to the number of people who read magazines and…

For the most part, research into the reading activities of elderly readers has focused on three areas--amount of time spent reading, reading preferences, and psychological benefits of reading--and has yielded inconsistent results. The data from reading time research both supports and refutes the claim that reading is less prevalent among older…

This book is concerned with the approximately 60% of capable adolescent readers who have little or no inclination to read creative literature. The possible causes of this reluctance to read are examined and various solutions to the problems are discussed. Chapters focus on the reading interests and motivations of teenagers, on the reasons that…

Literature programs that emphasize individualized reading have been found to significantly benefit life-long reading patterns. Since reading interests and motivation vary greatly, the English teacher, while fostering responsible choices, should let each student explore his personal interests at his own pace. Serving as a resource for his students,…

Questions the value of classic literature in teaching secondary school students to read for pleasure. Suggests that a better vehicle for the same goal is young adult literature like "The Outsiders." (TB)

Notes that teachers need to demonstrate a love of reading in order to pass it on to their students. Discusses ways to encourage a love of reading through book groups, reading goals, daily oral and silent reading, and sharing the impact of reading with students. (SC)

Based on the belief that the transition from learning to read to reading to learn can be facilitated by tailoring learning experiences to individual preferences, this book describes an affective-based 3-week summer reading program for students entering first through sixth grades. The first part of the book describes the philosophy of the program,…