A study examined whether the use of a listening station (comprised of books on tapes) would have a positive effect upon the reading interest of first graders. Subjects, 18 first grade children who were randomly selected from three reading groups in a suburban community school, were equally divided into an experimental and a control sample. While…

This annotated bibliography, for junior high and middle school students, describes nearly 2,000 books to read for pleasure, for school assignments, or merely to satisfy curiosity. Books included have been published mostly in the last five years and are divided into six major sections: fiction, drama, picture books for older readers, poetry, short…

The result of an International Reading Association committee organized to identify successful community programs that stimulate an interest in reading, this paper identifies and describes 10 selected program areas that might be used as models for other communities. Following a brief description of the project and the submission criteria, the 10…

Noting that modern technology is challenging both the form and the function of the book and its role as the principal instrument for transmitting accumulated knowledge and ideas, this report examines the ways in which technological innovation is modifying the role and function of reading in industralized societies and how readers are integrating…

Designed to make the study of Dickens'"Great Expectations" an appealing and worthwhile experience, this paper presents a unit of study intended to help students gain (1) an appreciation of Dickens' skill at creating realistic human characters; (2) an insight into the problems of a young man confused by false values and unreal ambitions…

Individuals in 14 job categories at the Analytical Instrument Division of the Hewlett-Packard Corporation were observed and interviewed for six months to determine their reading practices at work and in leisure settings. The individuals ranged from a research chemist and a printed circuit designer, to a quality assurance inspector and a mechanical…

Intended to help parents and teachers select books for young people that reflect the actual interests of adolescents, this booklet discusses titles that both appeal to teenagers and help adults gain insight into their needs, their concerns, and their values. Titles of chapters in the booklet are as follows: (1) "Are Young Adult Books…

A picture inventory is a useful means of determining reading interests of children in the intermediate grades. (JH)

The Delaware County (Pennsylvania) Reading Council's county wide Reading Fair developed positive and enthusiastic attitudes toward books. (JH)

Using children's books about death as examples, suggests that perhaps we push children too quickly through the developmental tasks of childhood and that more research into the maturation process is needed before we succumb completely to "reality" teaching. (TO)

Fifty-one fifth grade girls and 50 fifth grade boys participated in a study of the effects, on interest and comprehension, of stereotyped and nonstereotyped sex roles in reading materials. Reading materials consisted of eight 450-word stories about a main character who was either a pilot or a ballet dancer. Two plots were written for each…

Novels intended for adolescent readers have the following qualities in common: a tone that is implied by the diction and the syntax; themes that relate to adolescent concerns such as the search for status and identity, breaking family ties, and handling sex; a predilection to teach through example or to convey a message; and an atmosphere of…

The purposes of this study were to discover whether teachers can report the ways in which books, stories, poems, or articles have changed their concepts, attitudes, or behavior in relation to reading instruction, to learn the kinds of reading materials which have influenced their reading instruction, and to ascertain the instructional areas which…

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is a national program that seeks to motivate children to read. Implemented by local sponsors and aimed at disadvantaged groups, it offers participating children a wide selection of attractive paperbound books about interesting people, places, and events. The multisite evaluation discussed in this technical report…

Specific steps for developing a reading and research unit on dragons is described. (JH)