The purpose of this study was to: (1) compare the book selection preferences of inner-city and suburban fourth and sixth grade children, and (2) determine if children consistently chose books according to categories of literature. Comparison of inner-city and suburban students of the same sex and reading level provided a control for sex and…

Reviews results of a survey by the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) of 3,835 scholars in the humanities and social sciences who are working both in colleges and universities and outside the academic community. Areas highlighted include professional reading, authorship patterns, computer use, and library use. (LRW)

Reviews some of the current definitions of literacy and suggests that an expansion of the definitions is needed, based on information gained from interviews with adult remedial readers as they describe their reading needs. (SKC)

Describes observations of recreational reading material selection by kindergarten and first-grade boys and girls. Discussion covers gender-related preferences in choices of recreational library materials, fiction and non-fiction choices, flexibility in reading choices, and gender roles. Observations made in 1983 and 1984 are appended. Five sources…

Whitehead disputes the interpretation given his work in an article written by Roger Knight. (DF)

Discusses the role of the elementary teacher in instilling a love of reading in children. Stresses need to provide material of interest to children, the pitfalls of oral reading, and the need to help parents plan book purchases. (CJM)

A research-based model of adult literacy categorizes adult reading habits into four categories: (1) illiteracy, the inability to read; (2) aliteracy, the absence of reading by those who are able to read; (3) selective literacy, reading only one type of material for a single purpose; and (4) active literacy, fully embracing literacy in all aspects…

Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) has been around in various forms for over 40 years. While this subject has received much study in elementary schools, the influence of SSR on typical, non-at-risk high school students' reading habits appears to be lacking. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of SSR on ninth grade students' recreational…

Reviews research in which children's processing of individual words is examined in prose context. When taken together, the data suggest that the reader's dependence on contextual constraint for individual word identification decreases with age. (HOD)

Introduces a taxonomy of applied methods to help industrial arts teachers improve the reading abilities and verbal aptitudes of their students. The taxonomy is divided into five major sections: vocabulary, comprehension skills, interpretation skills, work study skills, and reading range (a more discriminatory reading ability). (CSS)

Successful and least successful fifth graders read and studied difficult or easily understood stories. For both groups, cued recall was higher on stories which made sense. Only the successful students were aware of having difficulty with the less-understandable stories, and allowed themselves more time to study them. (Author/GDC)

Presents tips for school librarians to encourage reading based on Stephen Krashen's analysis in "The Power of Reading" of more than 200 research studies, articles, and books on reading and literacy. Highlights include the effects of reading on student achievement; recreational reading; and reading aloud. (LRW)

Explores reasons why teenage students who know how to read choose not to do so, and emphasizes the importance of reading as an enjoyable and valuable pastime. Discusses aspects of reading that reluctant readers may not know and lists 25 titles that may appeal to such students. Provides teachers and librarians with suggestions for helping reluctant…

Highlights research important to understanding struggling middle school readers, and based on that research, suggests principles for instruction. Argues that knowing students as readers, maintaining a wide range of reading material, and allotting time for reading in class can support readers regardless of motivation, interest, or ability. (SD)

Discusses how research has shown that as little as 20 minutes of reading a day can dramatically improve children's reading skills. Urges teachers and others to participate in the READ*WRITE*NOW! initiative in which learning partners meet with children and youth once or twice a week to help students improve their reading and writing skills. (TJQ)