A summary of the reading and literature studies undertaken by an international voluntary association of educational researchers from various countries is in this paper. The studies' major findings are listed, and certain student attributes--such as sex, socioeconomic status, reading and viewing habits, and parental involvement--are discussed as they relate to student achievement in reading and literature. Also mentioned is a reference to Puritanical overtones in the responses to literature of secondary school students in the United States. The practices of English teachers, assessed through the use of a questionnaire, are classified into teachers who are (1) taste oriented, (2) history oriented, (3) heritage oriented, (4) self-understanding oriented, (5) form oriented, (6) criticism oriented, (7) student oriented, and (8) language oriented. The paper concludes that the results of the studies in reading and literature indicate that several patterns of instruction, learning, and response appear to emerge as outcomes of the curriculum. (AEA)