Examines the role of pleasure reading in the development of young readers and, more specifically, the role of series books, such as Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. Provides suggestions for teachers on their role in cultivating series books as a form of pleasure reading. (TB)

Finds that reading practices involving books and work documents bore a strong relationship to literacy proficiencies, and that younger adults were more likely to read brief documents for work, while older adults were more avid newspaper readers. Concludes that engaging in a diversity of reading practices is indicative of reading maturity and has…

Relates children's extracurricular reading to their reading achievement scores to determine whether good readers read more and whether more frequent reading improved reading proficiency. Finds that preexisting reading proficiency and engagement in extracurricular reading both had significant effects on current reading achievement, although the…

States that reading educators are becoming concerned with aliteracy and that research is only now focusing on reading habits. Studies 39 avid readers and non-avid readers to examine home and personal factors related to leisure reading habits. Discovers differences for some aspects of reading attitudes, for motivation, and for several home factors.…

Surveys college students to investigate whether a relationship exists between academic achievement and the time spent in recreational reading. Finds a significant and positive relationship between cumulative grade-point average and time spent reading for pleasure during vacations. Examines how much students read, who reads the most, and what they…

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)…

Examines reluctant readers, or aliterates, and identifies three distinct types: dormant, uncommitted, and unmotivated. Habits and attitudes of literate, aliterate, and illiterate students are presented, including enjoyment of reading, primary cognitive responses, and feelings about other readers. (LRW)

A study examined the commonalities that "voracious" readers share, and how their experiences can guide parents, teachers, and librarians in assisting children to become self-actualized readers. Subjects, 25 adults ranging in age from 20 to 67 years, completed a questionnaire concerning their reading histories and habits. Respondents…

The study examined the reading interests, attitudes, and habits of fourth, fifth, and sixth grade gifted students. The data were gathered from the 69 state assisted gifted programs in Missouri by means of a survey developed by the investigator. The Ss were limited to the fourth, fifth, and sixth grade gifted children whose program coordinators…

For this study of specific values that adult readers derive from their reading, 100 people from eastern central Illinois were interviewed about their reading experiences. All persons selected for interview were identified as having a continuing interest in reading, reflected in regular voluntary reading. The interviews were analyzed for…

Points out that schools should instill in students a love of reading. Presents a checklist for assessing reading attitudes, and several instructional strategies for promoting positive attitudes. Suggests that the teacher is often the most powerful force in promoting positive attitude development. (ARH)

Examines some national surveys that are in the ERIC data base that provide information about the reading habits and preferences of American readers. (HOD)

Reading at Risk presents the results from the literature segment of a large-scale survey, the Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, conducted by the Census Bureau in 2002 at the request of the National Endowment for the Arts. This survey investigated the percentage and number of adults, age 18 and over, who attended artistic performances,…

A study was conducted to investigate the reading habits and self-perceptions of teachers in various stages of their careers. Results indicated that preservice teachers read three times as many books as practicing classroom teachers and almost twice as many as graduate students in reading. (MKM)

Discusses market research indicating that eight children's and nine teen's magazines are in the top 100 magazines sold on the newsstand and by subscription. Estimates that a minimum of from 9 to 12 million magazines go into the hands of juveniles every month. (MKM)