Aspects of reading motivation and the amount and breadth of reading done were studied with 105 fourth and fifth graders. Children's reading was found to be multidimensional, and their motivation predicted reading amount and breadth even when previous amount and breadth were controlled. Intrinsic motivation was a better predictor than extrinsic…

Examines the literary practices four children chose to engage in outside of their inner-city school located in Sheffield, England. Suggests that children use literacy in richly diverse ways for purposes they see as meaningful. Concludes that while literacy presented by these children reflected community literacy practices, children also acted with…

Examines the association of reading instruction with the amount and breadth of students' reading activities, taking account of social, cognitive, and home factors. Finds that, for students aged 9, 13, and 17, amount of reading was associated with levels of social interaction surrounding reading, cognitive strategies for reading, and…

Challenging the common image of reading as a solitary activity, this article describes the social settings in which young people participated in the print culture of a late 19th-century small midwestern town. Analysis of library borrowing records shows that both adults and youth read "low" fiction, shared titles, and engaged in a common culture,…

Presents a study that looks at what students are reading, what they are required to read, what they read for pleasure, and what general categories of books students claim to like. Presents 11 tables of students' favorite reading. Notes that Young Adult books remain on the margin in both required and pleasure reading. (SG)

PIRLS is the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study. This rigorous international survey compares the reading attainment and attitudes to reading of over 200,000 9- and 10-year-old children in 41 countries. It is the only international study to provide information on the reading habits of primary-aged children: the survey collects…

Educators must accept the challenge of encouraging the lifetime reading habit in school. Students who are surrounded with books, newspapers, magazines, and other materials will be tempted to browse and to read from these sources. When selecting materials for the classroom, educators should work closely with the library media specialist who is…

From Reader to Reader is a reading incentive project designed to encourage voluntary reading and promote informal discussions about books among elementary school children. It was developed by members of Alpha Upsilon Alpha Honor Society of the International Reading Association and receives support from the Center for the Book in the Library of…

Drawing from data obtained from a two-page student questionnaire mailed to a number of Connecticut English and reading teachers in all types of schools, this paper reports on the reading interests and habits of students in grades four through twelve. Usable responses were received from 3,339 students from 51 schools in 37 different towns and…

A study was conducted to determine whether students' preferences for reading or for viewing television were related to the quality of their leisure reading choices. The families of 198 fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students were asked to complete television and reading logs for four weeks. Sixty-six students were identified from this sample as…

Intended for classroom teachers and administrators who want their schools to reflect commitment to the idea that reading for pleasure is an essential part of every successful reading program, this book provides suggestions by which educators can coordinate their efforts with librarians and parents to get children to read voluntarily. The book is…

To gather information about reading as it relates to older adults, 267 people, ranging in age from 60 to 93 years, were asked to complete questionnaires. Specific information elicited concerned reading habits, reading materials, time spent in reading daily, time spent watching television, reading interests, preferred television shows, and reading…

Four readers, ranging in age from 62 to 82, were selected for intensive analysis of their reading strategies, habits, and interests. Interviewing provided demographic information and reading habits and interests. Each person read orally an unfamiliar expository selection rated at ninth-grade-level difficulty by the Dale-Chall Readability Formula…

The purchase of $3,500 worth of paperback books led to 70 percent participation in an Ohio high school reading program run by the library-media center. (An annotated sampling of paperback titles purchased for the reading program is provided.) (MKM)

Discusses ways fictional characters can help children develop reading habits and overcome reading frustrations. (FL)