In Portugal, the word "literacy" acquired public importance in October 1995, in the first national literacy assessment report. In the last few years, "reading habits" and not "literacy" became a privileged research object, and it is the amount and kind of reading that is being measured, with the results taken as…

Shared reading involves reading aloud, making a variety of print materials available, and promoting positive attitudes toward literacy. Shared reading experience simulates the bedtime reading experience. It is a happy, secure situation that invites participation by children. Shared reading materials often use enlarged print which allows every…

This report describes a program for increasing reading fluency through the implementation of several reading interventions. The elementary students of the two targeted regular education classes and the one mild-moderately impaired program exhibit difficulty in reading fluently, which impedes them from becoming independent learners. Evidence for…

A 4-Block Balanced Reading Program was implemented in a school system in Georgia during the 1998-99 school year in an effort to improve reading achievement of these students. This study examined the short-term effect of this program implementation on reading achievement and attitudes toward reading of students in Grades 1 through 5 (n=2,127) who…

This study explores the relationship between reading attitudes, self-perceptions and reading achievement among second and sixth graders. The sample consisted of 84 second graders (39 females, 45 males) and 71 sixth graders (32 females, 39 males). Participants responded to the Estes Attitude Scales for reading, math and science and the "About…

This report describes a program for improving reading comprehension. The targeted population consists of first, second, third, and fourth grade classrooms in a middle class community located in a suburb of a large midwestern city. The problem regarding poor comprehension skills is evident from teacher observation, student performance, previous…

Born of a high school English teacher's frustration with his students' attitudes about books, this book presents, verbatim, nearly 50 letters sent to the teacher in response to his letter to the editor of the "San Francisco Chronicle" asking readers to write about their experiences with books and the role that books and literature played in their…

The Survey of Reading Attitudes was administered to fifth and sixth graders. A factor analysis revealed eight factors: Expressed Reading Difficulty, Reading as Enjoyment, Reading Group, Silent vs. Oral Reading, Alternative Learning Modes, Reading as Direct Reinforcement, Comics, and Reading Anxiety. The obtained factor structure was compared with…

Reports progress made toward developing a scale for measuring the reading attitudes of college students. Presents the scale, along with an answer key and a worksheet for scoring and interpreting results. (FL)

Research findings are cited that explain how reading comprehension is a complex process involving the coordination of multiple factors and provide a basis for instructional methods to improve children's reading comprehension skills. (MLF)

Discusses prereading activities, citing the book "Too Late the Phalarope," by Alan Paton, to help improve student reading comprehension and enjoyment. (HTH)

A review of research in reading comprehension is presented. The role of language in comprehension is analyzed and implications are drawn for actual practice by primary teachers in the reading curriculum. (Author/SK)

The scores of a sample of 116 first-grade rural Georgia pupils from a reading attitude inventory were correlated .18 with the reading composite scores on the Metropolitan Achievement Test. Coefficients of .48 and .32 were found for females and blacks respectively. The low degree of correspondences limited practical significance. (Author/PN)

Kindergarten children received prereading instruction based on a code systems approach. Results suggest that: (1) kindergarten children can learn the concepts and vocabulary of code systems; and (2) such instruction is related to their perception of the nature and purpose of reading and can be incorporated into existing kindergarten programs. (PP)

Quantifies and analyzes the reading activities of members of four occupational groups within a community: professional/managerial, small business/clerical, skilled crafts workers, and unskilled workers. (AEA)