The reading interests of a group of older adults were examined. Subjects were 16 adults between the ages of 50 and 85 who read five stories from "Readers' Digest" short story collections and who responded to a questionnaire about their preferences for the stories, their reading habits and interests, and the appealing elements of the stories. The…

Magazines and comic strips are two readily available cultural artifacts that can be used by expository writing teachers. Magazines are a particularly rich source of referential material for the composition classroom, offering examples of various prose styles and formal structures. One possibility for using magazines in writing classes is a…

This study investigated the relative importance of the major factors associated with the habit of reading or nonreading. Some 2,731 seventh-grade students were the subjects of the study; from these, 487 were identified as either readers or nonreaders, and, from this group, 22 students were selected for additional in-depth case studies. From over…

This study was designed to consider whether, by introducing fourth grade children to books by two promotional techniques, teachers can influence: (1) the amount of personal reading done by children, (2) which books these children select for personal reading, and (3) the attitude of the children toward the books they select. In each of reading, and…

Data for this study were gathered as part of a national survey of reading activities of adults. The study was conducted by the Response Analysis Corporation of Princeton, N.J. A national probability sample of 5,067 adults, age 16 or older, were interviewed in their homes and asked about all the printed matter they had read or looked at the…

Uses a small-scale attitude survey to assess children's attitudes to the way reading is taught in England, and examines possible alternatives to existing practice. (RS)

Shows how regularly scheduled activities with books and well designed library corners can increase children's interest in reading, using a study of four summer recreational daycare centers to illustrate. (JC)

Reports that while an intervention program increased children's library use, it did not affect their attitudes toward reading or their home reading habits. (FL)

Reports results of a study assessing reading maturity among 188 college-bound students in seven small rural schools and compares results to surveys of seventh graders and college freshmen. Describes the 15-minute reading survey completed by the students and lists 15 ways to develop reading maturity in small rural schools. (JHZ)

This guide puts books and readers together by helping readers' advisors in libraries, bookstores, and academic institutions find the books their readers will enjoy reading. Offering a structured overview of genres, it can also be used as a textbook for courses in genre literature and readers' advisory to discuss popular genres of fiction. The…

Research into the reading preferences of boys and girls has shown that there is a difference between the two sexes regarding the type of literature they enjoy reading. These preferences begin at an early age and continue on throughout their school careers. The purpose of this study was to determine if high school teachers are aware of these…

This paper reports on an interview with a 10-year-old Black girl, in which she discusses her responses to books about strong, active Afro-American girls. The difficulty of obtaining such books is pointed out, as is the need for studies of the impact of culturally valid books for young readers. (PP)

Explains how to organize a "print laboratory," a safe, nonthreatening environment where students can experiment with all kinds of print found in the real world. Presents strategies designed to promote independent reading and comprehension. (FL)

To determine how television viewing affected the quality of recreational reading, logs were completed on the amount of time fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students spent on reading and on watching television. Results indicated that students who watched a lot of television and who did little reading tended to choose books of lower quality.…

Describes a school district's efforts to make teachers, parents, and students more aware of the importance and fun of reading. (RL)