The topic of practicing and prospective teachers' readership has received attention in reading research, but there is a gap in Western studies when it comes to comparing teachers' reading status with that of the general population. With data from a national survey in Taiwan on college juniors, this study found that education majors as a subgroup…

Today's teachers are required to spend most of their English/Language Arts time in teacher-directed instruction with required text, which is primarily informational. Little, if any, time is allocated to self-selected independent reading (Garan & DeVoogd, 2008). In addition, some teachers do not understand the importance of independent reading…

Think about your favorite children's book. What impact did it have on you? Besides the immediate enjoyment of the book, did it have any long-term impact?

Aaron (2005) described the "family as the nation's smallest school" and "the home as the first school." Furthermore, studies document that 90% of the differences in academic achievement can be explained by five factors: (a) two-parent households; (b) school absenteeism; (c) amount read for homework; (d) quality and quantity of…

The relation between reading for pleasure, night-sky watching interest, and openness to experience were examined in a sample of 129 college students. Results of a path analysis examining a mediation model indicated that the influence of night-sky interest on reading for pleasure was not mediated by the broad personality domain openness to…

Several authors have suggested that a teacher's ability to encourage a disposition to read may be linked to their personal reading habits and views of literacy. This study examined the relationship between elementary school teachers' reading habits, knowledge of children's literature, and their use of literacy best practices in the classroom. One…

In an age where multi-media, such as video games and computer generated games, are consuming the lives of young adults, students are reading fewer novels and engaging less in recreational reading activities. Because of the ever-changing diverse student population teachers are searching for ways to be competitive motivators. Today, teachers need to…

This study explored the relationship between reading for pleasure and noctcaelador (strong interest in, and psychological attachment to, the night sky). University students (N = 185) completed measures of reading for pleasure and noctcaelador. Age was significantly correlated with both reading for pleasure and noctcaelador. Reading for pleasure…

Determines the relationship between attitude and reading behavior in adults. Finds that adults with positive attitudes toward reading spend more time in daily reading and read a wider variety of materials than do adults with negative attitudes. (MG)

This study examined the effects of students access to print through public library card ownership and class trips to the community library. Reading performance, attitudes toward reading, time spent reading at home, number of books at home, and family visits to the public library after school were compared between students who had library cards,…

Relates children's extracurricular reading to their reading achievement scores to determine whether good readers read more and whether more frequent reading improved reading proficiency. Finds that preexisting reading proficiency and engagement in extracurricular reading both had significant effects on current reading achievement, although the…

Examines differences in reading habits of developmental college students with varying levels of reading proficiency. Finds that subjects spent an unusually low amount of time on academic reading and even less time on nonacademic reading. Finds no significant differences between high- and low-proficient readers with regard to amount of time spent…

Surveys undergraduate students enrolled in a reading methods course for future elementary teachers to ascertain their attitudes toward reading and the teaching of reading. Finds that a high percentage of the future teachers have high positive attitudes toward both reading and teaching reading but do not consider reading to be their primary source…

Describes how a single positive experience in self-selected reading of children's books resulted in a profound change in attitudes toward recreational reading among Korean teachers in English as a foreign language. Concludes that after the experience, nearly all teachers reported they were interested in using sustained silent reading in their…

Investigates the reading genre preferences of 254 male and female high school students in Pennsylvania. Draws comparisons with similar research done 10 years earlier. Finds a substantial change in reading interests. Notes the top 10 areas of interest are adventure, horror, mysteries, humor, murder, love, fantasy, crime, sports, and movies. (RS)