Experiments report the retionale and outcome of the endeavor to develop a measure of the exploratory or curiosity value of reading materials which might help pave the way for the experimental analysis of factors underlying reading interest. (Author/CB)

Notes that the terms "interest" and "preference" are often used interchangeably in reading research. Points out that both the sources and uses of data are clearer when the differences in the two terms are emphasized. (FL)

Describes the experiences of one recipient of a teacher researcher grant from the National Council of Teachers of English as her research began to inform her teaching and her teaching influenced her research. (SRT)

Hypothesizes that discontinuties between the valued objectives and child training practices of the home and school may inhibit the effectiveness of school programs. (Author/RK)

The work reported in this paper was designed to explore the strategies used by 5-year-olds reading sentences from the first book in their school reading scheme, and to test predictions of error patterns derived from the work of MacKinnon (1959) and Soderbergh (1971). (Author)

Reviews research on the development of attitudes toward reading to investigate the idea that as children get older, their interest in reading declines. Highlights include research methodology; attitudes toward recreational reading; reading at home; reading autobiographies; and the need to provide interesting books to children. (LRW)

Concerned with the validity of the audience data reported by two major syndicated magazine readership services--Mediamark Research Inc. (MRI) and Simmons Market Research Bureau (SMRB)--a study examined the differences in MRI and SMRB calculations of reader turnover rates, which form the basis for estimating audience accumulation. Results indicated…

Illustrates simple, inexpensive procedures for involving readers in decisions about which comics and light features to include in a newspaper. (RL)

Seventy-seven contemporary realistic fiction children's books portraying a dyslexic character were published in the United States between 1993 and 2003. This study examined the texts to determine what types of issues the reading difficulty posed for the character. Texts were analyzed to determine if there was a relationship between the gender of…

A study was undertaken to develop an evaluation procedure that could be used to analyze the cognitive requirements of instructional materials used to teach beginning reading. The study involved four phases. The first phase, an examination of the literature in order to create a basis for the development of assessment procedures, included an…

A study used a Functions of Reading Scale to explore the reading activities of students in grades three, five, and eight in Ireland and the United States. Results showed the patterns of relationships between the variables in the Scale to be consistent across cultures and grade levels. (FL)

To determine if purposes in reading differ with sex, grade level, and nationality, a 16-item "Functions of Reading Scale" (developed from content analysis of student essays on why they like to read) was administered to 459 Irish (Dublin, Ireland) and American (Windham, Connecticut) students in grades three, five, and eight. Data…

How-to books can help gifted students learn the methodologies used by practicing professionals in a variety of fields. This article contains information about choosing, locating, and using how-to books, including an annotated bibliography of exemplary books in science, social science, research methodology, communication modes, and inventing and…

The report describes a search for instructional materials on citizen education, provides a directory of materials and publishers, and reviews materials. The document is presented in seven sections. Section I describes the search for literature relevant to citizen education. Section II explains that the search scope encompasses materials dealing…