Despite the importance of encouraging the development of recreational reading habits in secondary students, there is considerable evidence that many secondary schools implement instructional practices that negatively shape literary experiences. This study examined the recreational reading habits of secondary education majors, their knowledge of contemporary young adult literature, and their anticipated instructional practices. A researcher-developed survey instrument was used to collect data from 64 secondary education majors in a Midwestern state. Data reflecting the respondents' levels of reading enjoyment, recreational reading activities in regard to materials and frequency, the anticipated likelihood of implementing instructional practices that promote the development of reading habits were collected. An open-ended question that asked students to list titles or authors of contemporary young adult literature was also included to ascertain knowledge levels of young adult literature. A moderate positive correlation was found between recreational reading frequency in secondary education majors and the likelihood of incorporating instructional practices that promote the development of reading habits (p < 0.01) with frequency of pleasure reading behaviors explaining 11% of the variance in the likelihood of incorporating instructional practices that promote reading. Further, a one-way between subjects ANOVA indicated that expected instruction was statistically different for the different content areas p < 0.001. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]