Adolescence is a critical time period when it comes to fostering lifelong interest and practices in reading, yet a decreasing number of middle school students are performing at Proficient and Advanced levels in reading. The purpose of this study was to examine whether providing middle school students with an increased level of choice in their…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the reading volume and book choices of fourth-grade students and how they identified as readers. Students were encouraged to read 50 books independently. The results showed that students read throughout the year. Grade-level readers described themselves as being a part of the book, while above-…

The Accelerated Reader program was designed by Renaissance Learning to increase students' motivation to read and students' achievement in reading; however, a review of the literature reveals inconsistent findings about its outcomes. The Renaissance Learning company reports several research studies on their website that suggest the program is…

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of second grade students about reading, themselves as readers, their motivation to read, and their subsequent reading achievement. Allowing students time to read independently during the school day and providing various reading materials in the classroom are options that some school…

The responses of first-grade students to seatwork assignments were studied through detailed narrative records, copies of seatwork performance, and informal conversations with the students about their work. Two distinct groups of students were identified for comparisons: those whose responses to seatwork were frequently poor (low attention and low…

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…

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…

POWER (Providing Opportunities with Everyday Reading), stressing reading in the content areas, is a program for high schoolers driven by continuous improvement and teamwork. Improved test scores and enhanced attitudes toward reading result from high teacher commitment and sustained interest achieved through this teacher-led program's design. (MLH)

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…