Leisure reading is important for personality development and mental growth of children. Reading habits developed during early childhood are likely to continue rest of the life. The main purpose of this study was to investigate leisure reading habits and preferences of young children in Singapore. A questionnaire was used for data collection and…

In order to identify materials that would encourage urban eighth graders to read, the authors asked students about the importance they placed on reading, about their own reading abilities, and the role of race and genre in their book choice. On the basis of subscale scores from the "Adolescent Motivation to Read Profile Reading Survey"…

This article describes a pilot study conducted with 10 identified avid adolescent readers who completed the Adolescent Motivation to Read Profile (AMRP) (Pitcher, Albright, DeLaney, Walker, Seunarienesingh, & Moggie, 2007) that includes both a survey to determine students' self-concept and value of reading and an interview that sheds light on what…

This manuscript provides a rationale for classroom libraries and the need to include nonfiction with them. Guidelines for effective libraries, selecting nonfiction books, and strategies for promoting them are also shared. (Contains 2 figures.)

Investigates book selection strategies of fourth graders involved in a literature-based reading program. Examines types of information that guided the students' selections. Finds that the program was a motivating factor for students because their attitudes toward reading improved. Notes that to maximize reading growth, students should be reading…

Concludes that branched stories, which involve the reader actively in a story, can produce better attitudes toward reading on the part of elementary school students than stories from basal readers. (FL)

Suggests that teachers of reading would do well to look at the books in use in their classrooms and ask if they really do help present the acts of reading and writing as being varied, important, and enjoyable. (HOD)

Outlines a development process that turns a reader into a mentor, someone who can recommend books to others with a high percentage of satisfied readers. Examines the influence of peers, teachers, and other adults for their ability to increase the amount and quality of what children read. (SRT)