ERIC Number: ED283140
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1987-May
Pages: 24
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Looking toward the Family: Case Studies of Lifelong Readers.
Lockledge, Ann; Matheny, Constance
Interviews with over 200 adults, both those who enjoy reading and dislike reading, were used to investigate the assumption that the impetus for lifelong enjoyment of reading most often occurs in the home before children enter school. Results indicate that parents who enjoy reading and encourage it produce families that enjoy reading. The information provided may cause teachers to pause and reevaluate decisions regarding what will predispose students to enjoy reading. Excerpts from interviews suggest that the families of those adults who read for pleasure were usually warm and loving and were families that tended to share experiences and spend time together reading and writing. There are adults, however, who describe very limited experiences with their family and yet admit to reading a great deal. Many of them were encouraged to read by a teacher, which supports the notion that school can be a shaper of adult interest in reading when family influence is limited. It is possible that if high school students are taught how to effectively select children's literature and how to read aloud, schools could influence the next generation of parents and increase the number of new lifelong readers for pleasure. (Samples of complete interviews and references are included.) (Author/JC)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Reading Association (32nd, Anaheim, CA, May 3-7, 1987).