A practicum developed and implemented reading strategies to increase the positive attitudes toward recreational reading of a third-grade target group. The practicum focused on five central strategies for achieving objectives: alternative book reports, home leisure reading, guest reader program, read-aloud student response journals, and writing and…

Designed to increase sixth-grade students' leisure time reading, this practicum study investigated the effectiveness of a computerized independent reading contest. An existing word processing program was modified to encourage the sixth-grade students to read. A list of 25 books was developed. Students used the computer program to respond to…

This practicum report describes a reading program that was designed and implemented to help improve reading attitudes among fifth grade children. A target group of 17 fifth-graders were unmotivated and uninterested in reading, and TV occupied a great deal of their out-of-class time. Solution strategies involved encouraging parents, teachers, and…

A practicum was designed to motivate first-grade students in a rural community in the southeastern United States to read independently for pleasure in the classroom and at home. A whole language program was implemented which did not include the use of basal readers or workbooks. Children's literature was the primary source used for reading…

A practicum aimed to improve the attitudes toward recreational reading of 12 intermediate grade level English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students so that they would share their enthusiasm and interests in pleasure reading, as well as devote more time to reading. The writer met with parents of ESL students to discuss ways they could encourage…

A study evaluated a program designed to improve the reading attitude of students who had the skills to read independently but chose not to during their recreational reading time. Subjects, 25 third grade students enrolled in a public school in a rapidly growing city in Florida, performed in the 80th percentile or above on county, state, and…

A practicum addressed second graders' negative attitudes and habits toward recreational reading. Students were not reading for pleasure at school or at home. A recreational reading program, which used a variety of thematic units, was implemented. Subjects were 20 second graders (mostly Hispanics) in an inner city school. Several innovative…

A practicum was designed to encourage 60 at-risk young children in a Chapter 1 reading program at a rural primary school to read for pleasure so that they would eventually increase literacy development. The parents, teachers, and volunteer readers would increase the amount of time spent reading aloud to the children in the Chapter 1 reading…

The goal of a practicum was to improve students' attitudes towards reading. Subjects, 35 third graders, were representative of the community's social composition. Activities encouraged increased reading time in and out of the classroom. Parents were asked to encourage their children to read and to participate by reading with them, to them, or…

A practicum was designed to increase the amount of recreational reading by secondary school students, and to improve students' attitude toward reading, thus decreasing disruptive behaviors in the classroom. A whole language workshop approach was implemented over an 8-month period in two high school English classes, grades 10 and 11, college…

The practicum described in this report consisted of a reading program that was developed and implemented to improve attitudes toward leisure-time reading with an increased book involvement among elementary students. A target group of 30 students in a fourth grade self-contained class was established for the program. The program contained three…

A study examined the effectiveness of a program designed to increase literature appreciation and recreational reading of intermediate grade students. Subjects, 460 students an all-black midwestern city, recorded the amount of time spent reading at home, were observed by their teachers during reading periods to evaluate on-task behavior, were…

A practicum targeted a need to develop and improve student attitudes toward reading for fun and pleasure. The target group was 30 second-grade pull-out Chapter 1 reading students identified as primarily non-leisure-time readers based on a student/teacher interview questionnaire. A pre- and post-reading attitude survey was administered. Parents of…

A practicum addressed the problem of a lack of reading motivation among middle grade students. An activity based program for middle grade students which integrated reading, book reports, book presentations, computer programs, and a library skills program was developed. Subjects, 32 fifth grade and 33 sixth grade students enrolled in a computer…

Students in a senior (grade 12) basic English class were not motivated to read books unless required to do so by their teacher; they did little or no reading for pleasure. To increase recreational reading and instill a love of reading in the 17 subjects, a practicum, in the form of a reading program lasting about 2 months, developed strategies…