ERIC Number: ED225130
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1982-Jul
Pages: 13
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Young People's Reading: A Study of the Leisure Reading of 13-15 Year Olds.
Heather, Pauline
A 2-year study examined the leisure reading of 60 13- to 15-year-old students in England. Each subject was interviewed once a term for five terms, and was asked to keep a "reading diary" containing information about books read. Results indicated that young people do read, probably more than teachers think. Specific findings showed that (1) although the amount of reading tended to decline over time, this pattern was not invariable; (2) reading habits were affected by pressure of examinations and homework, summer holidays, other leisure activities, family commitments, and difficulty finding suitable books; (3) magazine reading was prevalent and declined less than book reading; (4) most of the books read were adult books and more than half the books had some link with the mass media; (5) buying, borrowing from the public library, and borrowing from friends and family were the three main sources of books; and (6) books were chosen because of author, recommendation, influence of mass media, type, or attractiveness of cover. These results suggest that teachers should be more concerned with quality of response than quality of the literature. Teacher influence is also a crucial factor in getting students to read. (JL)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom (England)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A