High school English as a Second Language (ESL) students in a 16-week sustained silent reading program showed gains in reading comprehension, reported greater frequency and enjoyment of reading, and utilized more sources of books. Results suggest that free reading is an effective means of literacy development with ESL students. (Contains 13…

It is proposed that both home and classroom reading activities influence writing skill acquisition. Relevant research in first- and second-language learning is reviewed and use of reading and independent reading to enhance writing skill acquisition is discussed. Extensive use of these activities in the French immersion classroom is recommended.…

Presents an open letter to English teachers outlining what the author hopes English teachers will teach his children about books and reading this year, focused on helping them love reading. Includes some thoughts about how to do so. Presents short annotations of 11 new or overlooked young adult books worth reading. (SR)

This article presents the results of a study in which five women in a detention facility were interviewed and asked about their prior educational histories and their experiences of GED education in jail. Three central themes emerged from the interviews. The women in the study had positive academic experiences in their early school years which were…

Drawing on data gathered during a seven-month study of the literacy practices of a group of White, working-class girls who have successfully navigated their high school's English curriculum, this ethnography investigates (1) how gender and class influenced the girls' uses of literacy in the classroom and (2) how the girls used texts from English…

One of the most common worries children's parents have is how well their children are learning to read. Introducing children to the joys of reading depends not only on the teachers, but on the parents. The most effective way parents can teach children how to read and to love reading is to read to them and, later, with them. Jim Trelease, author of…

The 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) examined three types of literacy--prose, document, and quantitative--among the entire older adult population and various subgroups thereof. Of the nationally representative sample of 26,091 adults interviewed during the NALS, 2,267 were aged 60-69, 1,005 were aged 70-79, and 442 were at least 80 years…

A study determined if handicapped adolescents have an interest in reading novels about handicapped teenagers. Many in this population tend to be reluctant readers. Generating interest in reading is important in helping to change that tendency. Reading novels concerning adolescents with handicaps or problems may also be considered a type of therapy…

This paper describes the Partners in Literacy Project developed by Phelps County, Nebraska R-6 School District. This project involves a partnership among the school, the parents, and students in promoting the literacy development of students. This rural school district serves a student body of 43 and consists of 6 staff members. The students are…

This booklet shares ideas, guidelines, and suggestions to help parents of junior high school students help their children read more and derive more pleasure from reading. The booklet focuses on the "why's" and "how to's" of two central issues in promoting reading for pleasure: supplying a wide variety of interesting reading…

To investigate the higher level comprehension strategies used by children reading basal reader stories, a study compared the results of an earlier investigation of 50 fourth grade level readers' comprehension strategies with findings gained from 30 subjects using a sixth grade basal reader. Subjects were asked to read aloud from a basal and stop…

The 14th Jerusalem International Book Fair, as an integral part of the International Jerusalem Symposium on Encouraging Reading took place for the fourth time. It addressed itself specifically to the promotion of reading habits among children and young people. The proceedings contain the following addresses: (1) "Give Us Books, Give Us Wings;…

This book draws on extensive demographic information to present a portrait of the nation's reading habits. Research offers the following observations and facts: reading of serious contemporary literature is the pastime of a distinct minority; the proportion of Americans who read serious literature is between 7 and 12% and contemporary fiction,…

This study examines the following two premises of information-seeking behavior associated with the use of nonfiction books in an electronic mode: (1) individuals generally read nonfiction books for obtaining information; and (2) users read nonfiction books in parts, rather than completely. Study data were collected through interviews with 350…

Intended for administrators and policymakers as well as teachers, this digest explores the relationship between television viewing habits and reading achievement. The digest first examines recent research indicating a negative relationship between television viewing in excess of ten hours and reading performance. The digest next focuses on the…