THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE DIFFICULTY OF READING MATERIAL CHOSEN AND ATTITUDE TOWARD READING WAS EXAMINED. SUBJECTS WERE 40 SECOND GRADERS. ONE-HALF OF THE SUBJECTS EXHIBTED A FAVORABLE ATTITUDE TOWARD READING, AND ONE-HALF EXHIBITED AN UNFAVORABLE ATTITUDE. THE ACTIVITY PREFERENCE TEST WAS ADAPTED FOR THE STUDY AND ADMINISTERED. AN INTERVIEW,…

A study compared the choices of Charlottesville area children with those from Children's Choice lists, published annually in "The Reading Teacher." Subjects, 62 third- to sixth-grade students, were interviewed before they checked books out of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library Main Branch in Charlottesville, Virginia. Children were…

A study tested the hypothesis that students who were required to read a book of their choice for 15 minutes per night would have a more positive attitude toward reading than similar students who did not have that assignment. The Estes Attitude Scale for reading was given to two classes (high group and low group) of sixth graders in central…

Due in part to conflicting opinions and research results, the practice of sustained silent reading (SSR) in schools has been questioned. After a frustrating experience with SSR, the author of this article began a data-driven decision-making process to gain new insights on how to structure silent reading in a classroom, including a comparison…

This practicum was designed to provide a setting where negative attitudes toward reading in eight eighth-grade literature students (in a small private school in a large southeastern city) would be modified. The practicum aimed to provide students with regular opportunities for successful experiences in reading, and to promote the enjoyment of…

The effects of modeling procedures on the reading selections of gifted and nongifted students were examined in a group of ten gifted sixth graders, eight gifted fifth graders, and eight nongifted fifth graders. Both adult and combined peer/adult modeling procedures were investigated. Data on selections from the 150 books available in the classroom…

In this study it was hypothesized that if a young reader repeatedly chooses a serial book for pleasure reading, then appreciation and ability to choose and recognize quality works will diminish. Four sixth-grade English classes recorded their independent reading choices for five months. Those who habitually read series books were chosen for the…

Investigates the reading genre preferences of 254 male and female high school students in Pennsylvania. Draws comparisons with similar research done 10 years earlier. Finds a substantial change in reading interests. Notes the top 10 areas of interest are adventure, horror, mysteries, humor, murder, love, fantasy, crime, sports, and movies. (RS)

The effect of individual teacher-student conferences on reading achievement, attitude toward reading, and amount of reading was investigated in separate samples of third and fourth graders, none of whom had previously had such teacher-student conferences. Results indicated significant differences between experimental and control groups at the…

Studies the views of parents and teachers on how they might effectively support independent readers. Examines children's views on parental involvement. Finds that the survey heightened interest in reading and literature among children and their parents. (MG)

Eighty-one fifth grade students from a suburban parochial school were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups in a study designed to determine the effect of daily sustained silent reading (SSR) on student reading habits and attitudes toward reading. One teacher supervised 40 students in daily fifteen-minute periods of SSR, using…

The effects of the Wisconsin Prototypic System of Reading Skill Development, combined with teacher inservice training, on the performance and attitudes of primary pupils and their teachers were examined. Experimental and control subjects were students in grades 2 and 3. Teachers served as their own controls, having instructed the control a nd…

The purpose of this study was to determine if reading aloud to children regularly would have an effect on their motivation and desire to read independently. Subjects, 100 fourth and fifth grade students in Wayne, New Jersey, participated in the study. One fourth and one fifth grade class were read to on a daily basis for 30 minutes. The second…

To investigate adolescent reading habits and interests, a reading interest survey was administered to 103 male and 133 female sophomore English students from two high schools with similar socioeconomic backgrounds but different individualized reading programs. In the first school, students read and made book reports on three novels of their own…

Describing the characteristics and attitudes of a nationally representative sample of 36,000 students in grades 3, 7, and 11, this report details the specific features of reading instruction, how students approach their reading tasks, student reading experiences, and the home and school supports to academic achievement. The report is based the…