To address middle school students' lack of motivation for recreational reading, the practicum reported here integrated activities designed to improve student attitudes toward reading into a middle school reading program. A target group of 75 students in sixth and seventh grades grouped homogeneously in remedial, average, or enrichment classes…

A practicum was designed to increase the amount of time parents read to their kindergarten children. Fifteen parents in a suburban area participated in a series of teacher-presented workshops to discover the value of reading aloud, learn strategies for presenting literature, and practice reading aloud to their children. All seven of the behavioral…

The majority of current college freshmen see no place in their lives for reading as an opportunity for intellectual or emotional enjoyment. They read only the most utilitarian texts--appliance instructions or road signs, for example. A teacher cannot "make" students read anything, but he or she can help them find ways to like reading;…

Designed to help teachers encourage positive student attitudes toward reading on their own, this guide provides a developmental reading framework to introduce students to books beyond the basal series and to enhance reading motivation. Following an introduction, the guide covers the following subjects: (1) goals and objectives for both teachers…

Recounts observations of a child's interactions with Beverly Cleary's Ramona books, noting that she exhibited "passionate attention" toward the characters by becoming involved with them and discussing them often. Shows that the child's comments grew from observations to criticism over time, and her passionate attention to Ramona expanded…

A study investigated attitudes and preferences concerning reading among fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students in Portuguese-language schools in the United States. Extrinsic factors influencing students (parents, teachers) were also analyzed. The research took place in 10 schools in 5 states. Data were obtained using questionnaires (students)…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 28 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) factors affecting third graders' comprehension of descriptive texts; (2) the trope density of selected first, second, and third grade basal readers; (3) a…

A preliminary study investigated whether regular periods of sustained silent reading (SSR) would positively affect verified silent reading comprehension scores for eighth grade students. The hypothesis tested was that students allowed 15 minutes of recreational reading (reading self selected material for enjoyment) five times a week for three…

Articles in this journal issue focus on reading acquisition and instruction. The titles and authors are as follows: (1) "10 Good Ways to Involve Parents in the Reading Program," by Nickolas Criscuolo; (2) "A Parent Guide for Helping the Child with A Reading Disability," by Frederick Duffelmeyer and Dale Baum; (3)…

Developed by the International Reading Association Library Resources and Reading Committee, this book is designed to help parents, teachers, and librarians provide children with books and reading experiences that will make reading a lifetime habit. Part One, "The Right Book for Each Child: Book Selection and Library Use," contains the following…

Describes the One-Third Report method for motivating reluctant students to read and write: the teacher reads aloud a portion of a story; the class brainstorms endings; students read one-third of assignments, then write about what they need to know or hypothesize endings, which motivates them to finish the story. Includes sample One-Third Report.…

A study examined critical literacy and how texts, transactions, and talk enabled girls to examine their positions as readers and negotiate their identities in relation to novel characters and one another. Participants were eight sixth-grade girls of European American, African American, and Latina backgrounds and the participant researcher, a white…

Investigated book-reading habits of families and teachers to hearing impaired and normal hearing kindergarten children. Found that while there was no significant difference in the book-reading habits of the two groups to their children, hearing-impaired children's families are more careful in book choosing and reading to their children. (Author/SD)

Designed to assist parents, classroom teachers, reading specialists, and special educators, this book describes effective reading programs that promote reading success and achievement for children at all reading levels. The 10 chapters of the book are as follows: (1) "Preventing Reading Failure and Increasing Reading Achievement through Learning…