Challenges the widely endorsed practice of activating relevant knowledge prior to reading. Outlines a perspectival (perspective-relative) view of reading and suggests that this view provides a means to make coherent sense of interpretations. Concludes that having specific knowledge is not the main desideratum in interpreting texts--the main…

Reflections on the solitary, personal experience of reading and writing contrasted to the "rampant technocapitalism" of the computer presentation of data. Technology may have reconfigured reading; written language; and the publication, distribution, promotion, and place of books, but as long as there is concern for imaginative…

A survey of optometry faculty (n=263) produced a ranking of 77 optometric journals by the frequency respondents reported they read or scanned them. Data on whether the journal is refereed and included on the Medline database are also provided. Findings indicate that journals based on membership in an organization were read or scanned more often…

Evaluated in two studies the role of book rotation and number of books available in promoting book use among preschool children in day care classrooms. Found some support for book rotation in promoting voluntary book use, but teacher presence in the reading area was most strongly correlated with children's book use. (JPB)

Describes a collective case study of 12 high school juniors who identified themselves as avid readers of popular fiction. Finds strong reading relationships between parents and high school students. Describes the different roles that parents played in their adolescent children's reading lives. Looks at implications for secondary English classrooms…

Suggests ways school librarians can implement a free-choice reading program to motivate students to read. Discusses developing a trusting relationship with teachers and administrators; suggesting only small changes initially; involving coaches and activity advisers; asking principals to encourage staff members to designate time for pleasure…

Examined literacy development and enhancement, and level of child interest and involvement in preschools. Found that, although many preschools were fostering the growth of literacy in numerous ways through the environment, materials provided, and activities implemented, many missed opportunities to foster growth and interest in emergent reading…

We investigated how SES, grade level, and book reading experiences are related to children's writing self-efficacy as well as to their knowledge of "good writing" and "writing difficulties." The sample included 199 middle-high (HSES) and low (LSES) SES children (63 second graders, 67 fourth graders, and 69 sixth graders).…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has regularly assessed the reading skills of U.S. fourth-graders since the early 1970s, but few national studies have assessed the reading skills of children when they enter kindergarten and then documented the development of these skills through fifth grade. This analysis uses data from the…

New Literacy Studies is the theoretical basis for this research, providing a social view of literacy. Recent work in New Literacy Studies has extended further the notion of literacy and demonstrated the ways in which people engage in practices in their everyday lives that do not always get translated into their studies. This article draws on…

Enthusiasm for and a commitment to literature are the essential tools needed to successfully promote the enriching, challenging, and thought-provoking world of books. This paper focuses on the promotion of literature inside the classroom, inside the library, and in the wider community. Programs at Methodist Ladies' College (Australia), a boarding…

This book aims to show parents how to instill the love of reading in their children and how to nurture that love throughout their lives, even in the face of television, video, and computer entertainment. The book is based on the concept of "reading pathways," developed after more than 20 years of classroom observation and interviews. It…

The 1998 Roper Youth Report is based on a nationwide cross-section of 1,189 children aged 6 to 17 years. Face-to-face interviews were conducted in the children's homes during April and May, 1998. Children who watch Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) are more likely to read, be active participants and share in family activities than non-viewers. PBS…

This guide describes "Parent Power," a program designed to help parents help their children become better readers. The guide makes such suggestions as pre-reading the book before reading it to children; reading about a variety of subjects; and showing children the importance of reading by parents reading and modeling the reading process…

A project determined the impact of the California Literacy Campaign (CLC) on its learners. Researchers used information from two California Adult Learner Progress Evaluation Process (CALPEP) forms: Where We Started (WWS) and a Semiannual Report (SR). The study focused on new adult learners served by the CLC for the first time between July and…