Search

While scholarly publishers have become increasingly interested in supporting the sharing of research beyond academia in recent times, there are few first‐hand accounts from academics that illustrate the realities and complexities of this process. As such, scholarly publishers may be somewhat in the dark about what is actually involved in such knowledge mobilization, and how to best support it. In this autoethnographic account, I describe my experience as an early career researcher involved in the creation of 14 scholarly outputs on the 2016 Western Australian Study in Children's Book Reading project. I illustrate how these scholarly outputs led to media engagements and Plain Language publications, and then were transformed into unique initiatives driven by schools and state government. The academic labour involved in these knowledge mobilization components are depicted as substantial. I also critically interrogate my own research training background and dispositions to identify some reasons for my adoption of knowledge mobilization as a priority, despite perceiving a general lack of support and recognition for this work. Finally, given the pragmatic considerations I raise in this article, I outline ways that scholarly publishers can support academic researchers to engage in knowledge mobilization more regularly and effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The charity Reading Force encourages Forces families to read together in order to build social, emotional, and mental well-being and offset the impact of the changes and separations routine in military life. They distribute reading scrapbooks and free books and encourage families to work on them together. It was suggested that a version of the project might usefully be developed for veterans in prison, whose families experience many of the same issues. Scrapbook Dads was developed for veterans housed in the Endeavour Wing at Parc Prison, South Wales. The materials were adapted for use by prisoners and their families. They had just been distributed when the pandemic struck, visiting and social/educational activities were cancelled, and the prison went into lockdown. With the materials readily available, the project was heavily used by prison staff to seek to maintain prisoner morale and support family connectivity. This paper charts the process, comments on what was learned, and makes recommendations for how shared reading can be used in prisons in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on administrative data and reading achievement data provided by two Midwestern school districts for three schools, we analyze the literacy impacts of a replicable summer reading program, Kids Read Now. The program includes both school-based and home-based components that together encourage students to remain engaged in reading high-quality books over the summer months. We apply propensity score matching methods to match participating Kids Read Now students with similar comparison students. Our results suggest that Kids Read Now participants outperformed comparison group students, with a mean effect size of d =.12. Additional model estimates of the impacts for those students who read more of the books provided by Kids Read Now revealed that those who received all 9 books realized an effect size of d =.18 relative to the outcomes for matched comparison students. We discuss how these results might be considered in light of prior findings on summer learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Picture books inherently contain many parallel dimensions of information and serve as a rich source of input for children. However, studies of children's learning from picture books tend to focus on a single type of information (e.g., novel words). To better understand the learning-related potential of shared book reading, we examined 4.5- to 5.5-year-old children's simultaneous learning of novel words, moral lessons, and story details from a reading interaction with a parent. Results showed that children successfully learned new words, extracted a moral lesson, and recalled story details from the picture book. Contrary to expectations, children's learning was equally strong regardless of whether or not parents were prompted to focus on learning as the key purpose of book reading. This research demonstrates that children learn diverse information presented across different time scales from picture books. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this case study was twofold. First, the study was conducted in order to understand the perspective of a post-secondary reader with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on reading. In addition, factors that might influence the student's perspective were investigated. The student and his teacher participated in the study. Interviews with the participants and classroom observations were the primary sources of data. The data analysis produced three core categories. The categories showed that the student loved and enjoyed reading books that he was interested in and that were easy. However, he would read difficult and uninteresting books because reading such books would provide him with a sense of accomplishment. Responsive instruction and familial support may be possible factors that influence his perspective. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores Empathy, as defined by Oxford University Press (2018), is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another, and it is fundamental to a civilized society (Borba, 2016). Unfortunately, research suggests students in the United States are becoming less empathic (Konrath et al., 2011) and increasingly narcissistic (Twenge, 2013; Twenge & Foster, 2008). Youth's capacity to care has plummeted while selfabsorption has skyrocketed (Borba, 2016).

Previous research highlights several benefits of shared book reading (SBR) for child development, but less studies exist about its predictors (Yarosz and Barnett, 2001). Literature on home SBR in Portugal is scarce (Araújo & Costa, 2015; Peixoto et al., 2008), and studies on its predictors in families at socioeconomic risk or Roma families in this context are, respectively, reduced (Gamelas et al., 2003) or inexistent. This study aimed to investigate the predictors of the frequency of SBR in two ethnically diverse groups of families. Specifically, we studied the associations between child and family (mother) characteristics, parental aspirations, and parental involvement in preschool events and frequency of home SBR. Two hundred and six caregivers of Portuguese Roma (n = 101) and non-Roma (n = 105) low-income preschoolers (109 boys; Mage = 5, SDage = 0.94) living in the Metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Oporto, Portugal, completed a survey, in face-to-face meetings. A multiple regression model, using AMOS (v. 25), showed that mothers' educational level, educational aspirations for their child, and involvement in informal (but not formal) events in preschool were positively associated with frequency of SBR. Ethnicity did not moderate these associations. The overall similar pattern results for Roma and non-Roma low-income families is an important finding, suggesting that these families may experience similar challenges in engaging in SBR with their preschool children and, therefore, may benefit from interventions with similar features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reading rooms, a totally unprecedented kind of institution in a country newly independent from Portuguese rule, started being set up in nineteenth-century Rio de Janeiro in the late 1820s. Catering mainly for the foreign communities, their fare consisted for the most part in imported printed material. Although it might sound like an exaggeration to claim that Rio was flooded with newspapers, books and periodicals, they became gradually and increasingly available to its inhabitants. The establishment of the British Subscription Library in 1826, the Portuguese Circulating Library in 1837, and the Biblioteca Fluminense in 1847 played a pivotal role in the circulation of British and French periodicals, allowing for the dissemination of news, ideas, key political, social and economic issues, as well as the diffusion of fiction and literary news. This essay reveals the presence and circulation of some of the foreign periodicals in nineteenth-century Rio de Janeiro libraries and reading rooms and traces their impact on the local Republic of Letters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bias, gender data gap, gender differences However, it demonstrates the gender data gap from an overall holistic level, which makes this book an urgently needed addition in order to understand and correctly interpret inequalities between genders. Keywords: bias; gender data gap; gender differences EN bias gender data gap gender differences 1985 1989 5 09/22/21 20210901 NES 210901 I Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men i by Caroline Criado Perez is not only an interesting and informative book to read, but one of critical importance for the general understanding of the world women live in. [Extracted from the article]

Austerity addresses not only public debt but also private debt now guaranteed by national governments, and austerity measures frequently extend beyond debt to include creditor protections, privatization, and welfare state cuts. In their study of comparative austerity, Shefner and Blad (4) find austerity to be "the go-to policy to resolve the "problem" of national debt." Post-2008 austerity is saved for chapter 8, and chapter 9 explores the tenacity of austerity. [Extracted from the article]

In 2019, an estimated 100 million African school-age children were designated 'out-of-school', the highest numbers in the world. COVID-19 has dramatically worsened that already bleak picture because school closures have cut off any children who cannot access education remotely. Though the new figure is not yet known, it is clear that a generation of children will fall by the wayside unless decisive steps are taken to address the systemic, infrastructural and cultural hurdles that are preventing African children from learning. That would be a huge setback for African development, with potentially disastrous consequences in years to come. In 2021, its second year of operation, the Africa Publishing Innovation Fund, an initiative led by the Geneva-based International Publishers Association, turned its attention to the remote learning challenge in Africa. A decision was taken to sponsor locally-owned projects to keep students learning and give disadvantaged communities ways to access books and premises for community cohesion, skills development, studying and reading. The APIF is not the solution, but it is a sincere attempt by publishers to address some of the problems within the overarching African education emergency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research is to present how university students ' Test of English for International Communication Institutional Program (TOEIC IP) scores change after taking a 20-minute English extensive reading class during one semester. The research question was, "Is there a significant difference between the TOEIC IP scores from a 20-minute extensive reading class and those from a control class without extensive reading in a semester?" Extensive reading was conducted with first-year university students. Class A (n = 30) participated in the extensive reading; Class B (n = 32) did not take part in it. As a result, a t-test was conducted, and it showed the following significant difference between the TOEIC IP scores of Class A and those of Class B: t (60) = -- 2.46, p < 0.05. The answer to the research question was that there was in fact a significant difference between the TOEIC IP scores of the 20-minute extensive reading class and those of a control class without extensive reading in a semester. This suggests that extensive reading of easier books for university students can be effective for 20-minute increments in class and outside of class in a short period such as one semester. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's digital era, tablets are gaining popularity as reading devices. However, few studies have compared reading e-books on tablets with reading printed books and regular classroom instruction for language learning. To evaluate the role of tablets in reading and analyze the possibilities, the current study examined 97 elementary school students learning English as a foreign language in South Korea. These students were taught English once or twice a week for 11 weeks based on extensive reading using tablets (n = 42), printed books (n = 32), or regular textbook-based instruction as control (n = 23). The results indicate that literal level reading comprehension was improved the largest in the tablet group compared with the other groups. By contrast, improvements in inferential reading comprehension and grammatical knowledge were greater in those reading printed books than in the tablet group. The findings suggest that the print medium was superior for deep reading and digital texts were better for quick and shallow learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking account of research into the relationship between the reading of narrative fiction and niche tourism, this article speculates on the role of the university lecturer of literature in shaping the touristic desires of students. It is especially interested in the influence of European based lecturers of American fiction as they stimulate the geographic imaginations of their learners. Since cultural capital accrues through the reading of serious works of literature, the influence of lecturers is likely to have some bearing on the eventual travel destinations of university graduates prompted to seek out the material locations that they have read about in books. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the benefits of reading aloud with infants and toodlers for serve-and-return interactions with young children. It reports on the development of competencies like vocabulary knowledge and world knowledge in infants and toddlers through reading aloud. It also offers suggestion on planning an effective reading aloud which include selection of quality texts, setting proper environment and engaging infants in read aloud, as of September 2021.

The author presents a personal narrative of her experiences of reading children's books for prisoners at a local county jail in 2018 and offers recommendations on books including "The Rough Patch" by Brian Lies, "The Biggest Bear" by Lynd Ward and "The Farmer and the Clown" by Marla Frazee.

This meta-analysis examines the inconsistent findings across experimental studies that compared children's learning outcomes with digital and paper books. We quantitatively reviewed 39 studies reported in 30 articles (n = 1,812 children) and compared children's story comprehension and vocabulary learning in relation to medium (reading on paper versus on-screen), design enhancements in digital books, the presence of a dictionary, and adult support for children aged between 1 and 8 years. The comparison of digital versus paper books that only differed by digitization showed lower comprehension scores for digital books. Adults' mediation during print books' reading was more effective than the enhancements in digital books read by children independently. However, with story-congruent enhancements, digital books outperformed paper books. An embedded dictionary had no or negative effect on children's story comprehension but positively affected children's vocabulary learning. Findings are discussed in relation to the cognitive load theory and practical design implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reading for pleasure is an undervalued but highly beneficial practice conferring a range of educative and socio-emotional advantages. School librarians may play a key role in supporting reading for pleasure and associated literature advocacy; however, relatively little is known about how reading for pleasure may be valued within the job description of contemporary school librarians. It cannot be assumed that reading for pleasure is positioned as a valued aspect of the school librarians' educative role in the United States and Australia, given factors such as evolving demands placed on the profession. Through hybrid content analysis of job description documents, this article explores which aspects of the current school librarian role are related to supporting reading for pleasure, comparing expectations between nations. While there are some similarities in the nature of the reading for pleasure role in the United States and Australia, Australian school librarians are far more likely to be expected to foster reading for pleasure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While many researchers studying reading motivation and attitudes have taken a variable‐centred approach, few have employed a person‐centred analysis to examine profiles of reading attitudes and how they relate to reading outcomes. Methods: As a person‐centred approach, cluster analysis was used to examine the multiple reading attitude profiles of 499 seventh‐grade to ninth‐grade Chinese adolescents. The effects of each attitude profile on reading outcomes, which include strategy use and language arts grades, were tested using a multivariate analysis of covariance. Results: Cluster analysis identified four profiles: engaged digital readers (positive attitudes towards both academic and recreational reading in digital medium), avid readers (positive attitudes towards all dimensions), engaged print readers (positive attitudes towards both academic and recreational reading in print medium) and recreational digital‐only readers (relatively average attitudes towards recreational digital reading but substantially lower attitudes towards the other three dimensions). Avid readers outperformed all other profiles regarding strategy use but were equally successful with engaged print readers in terms of language arts. Recreational digital‐only readers scored the lowest in both reading outcomes. Conclusions: Chinese adolescents have multiple reading attitude profiles distinct in nature and in their relation to reading outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have examined associations of public library use and shared book reading to kindergarten children's academic skills. The study sample consisted of 13,385 kindergarten students enrolled in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010–2011 (ECLS-K: 2011). Parents reported on public library use in the past month (yes/no) and frequency of shared book reading in the past week. Cross-sectional linear regression analyses examined associations of kindergarten children's academic skills with public library use and shared book reading. Interactions between poverty with shared book reading and public library use on academics were assessed. 59.6% of children visited a public library and 86.5% engaged in shared book reading at least three times a week. Public library use and shared book reading differed by socio-demographics. Higher academic scores were positively associated with public library use and shared book reading. A significant interaction between poverty and public library use was not identified. Shared book reading was associated with higher academic scores for all children, especially for children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. Public library use and shared book reading were independent predictors of kindergarten children's academic skills. Disparities in public library use, shared book reading and academics were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we share a classroom-based project that will be referred to as "the Talk about the system." The "system" is a loose term used to signify the combination of economic, political, and social composites where our decisions take place. Our business students will be future business decision makers. Therefore, it is important that their assessment of the economic situation be as objective as possible. If unduly pessimistic, they will pass up on projects that could have created jobs for others; if too optimistic, they may waste resources that could have been used more efficiently in other ways. Further, subjective feelings and appreciation of the system are also important, as they indicate a personal reflection that arises when thinking about how we do in life: "Is it me, or the system?" The mechanics of the exercise are very straightforward and were inspired by investment analysis exercises where students must handle overwhelming amounts of information. Five areas are targeted: the economic-political system, the government's role, the individual's responsibility, culture and religion, and "the world we create" –fiction, as in movies and literature. A few items (books, readings) are assigned to groups of three-four students each, at least one for each of the areas. Each group produces a 2-3 page write-up that is collated. The final requirement is an individual reflection (3-4 pages) on the collated group materials. This exercise has been successfully carried out several times already. Both the students and the instructor found that the goals set were achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to determine the relationship between pre-service Turkish teachers` digital writing attitudes and their digital reading tendencies. In this context, 167 teacher candidates from different grades studying in the Turkish language teaching program of a state university in the west of Turkey were consulted. The relational surveying method, one of the quantitative research methods, was used. "Digital Writing Attitudes Scale" and "Digital Reading Tendencies Scale" were used as data collection tools in the study. The obtained data were analysed with the SPSS package program. Since it was determined that the data showed normal distribution due to the assumption analysis of the findings, independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA analyses were used in the research. In addition to these parametric tests, mean scores and standard deviation scores of the descriptive analysis results were used. As a result of the data analysis, it has been seen that pre-service Turkish teachers` digital writing attitudes and digital reading tendencies are at a high level. There has been no significant difference observed in the results in terms of participants gender for the convenience and motivation sub-dimensions of the scale. However, digital writing attitudes show a significant difference favouring female teacher candidate in the effect sub-dimension. According to the class variable, Turkish teacher candidates' digital writing attitudes show a significant difference in favour of small classes. The research findings concluded a moderate, positive, and significant relationship between pre-service Turkish teachers` digital writing attitudes and their digital reading tendencies. In order to provide digital transformation and dispositions, the positive and negative aspects of reading and writing in digital tools can be thoroughly researched, and improvements can be made by reviewing the existing tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of augmented reality-based reading activities on reading comprehension, reading motivation, attitude towards reading and class participation of fourth grade elementary students, and to obtain the students’ views regarding this. The research was conducted with 54 fourth grade students attending two different classes of a state school with a medium socioeconomic level located in the city centre of the province of Kars during the autumn semester of the 2018-2019 academic year. The quantitative dimension of the study, in which a sequential explanatory mixed design was used, was carried out with a quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest control group. In the qualitative dimension, however, opinions were obtained by means of semi-structured interviews following the implementation. The semi-structured process lasted for a total of 7 weeks, including a 1-week awareness programme and a 6-week implementation, and during this period, the implementation, which was related to augmented reality-based reading exercises, was carried out with the experimental group. In the control group, however, instruction based on the standard Turkish subject curriculum was carried out. The findings obtained from the quantitative dimension of the study revealed that there was a significant difference between scores of the experimental and control groups in reading comprehension, attitude towards reading, reading motivation and class participation, in favour of the experimental group. Moreover, in the qualitative dimension of the study, the interviewed students in the experimental group generally expressed positive views related to the augmented reality-based reading exercises. The students stated that they were able to use augmented reality easily, and that it had real-like, three-dimensional, entertaining and participative features. Furthermore, the students reported that as well as reading comprehension and reading attitude, it had an effect on their thinking skills, academic development and communication skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transport systems in China face extreme capacity shortages during the Spring Festival travel season. This study therefore explores traveler's decision making behavior when booking tickets during this season for a specific origin destination relation. Data are obtained from a mixed RP/SP survey that reflects the ticketing policy in China. Loop questions are programmed inside the questionnaire to investigate changes in behavior after people experienced failure to obtain their preferred ticket. Hybrid discrete choice models are built based on the survey data to reflect the first two levels of an individual's choice sequence. The first level reflects respondents' preferred choice. For the second level, the best alternative choice, a generalized choice set is introduced that is able to simplify the complex alternatives. Two simulations are conducted based on the estimation results which are evaluated based on the number of tickets that could be obtained by the generated population. The simulation results suggest that under fixed total railway capacity, the over-expansion of high-speed rail can have an overall negative impact, especially for the low-income group and we show the possibility of creating more capacity for the low-income group by staggered ticket sales. We suggest the methodology introduced in this study can support the discussion regarding socially optimal ticketing policies under severe capacity shortages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Education Technology & Scientific Researches is the property of Ayse Burcu Ulusoy and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Erzincan University Journal of Education Faculty / Erzincan Üniversitesi Egitim Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Erzincan University Faculty of Education Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: In this study we compared the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) with a story reading intervention (SI) on the executive functions and psychological profile of children in two different public schools in São Paulo, Brazil. Methods: In this controlled clinical trial, 207 children aged 8 to 9 years old responded to the Five-Digit Test (FDT), stress levels, depression, anxiety, positive and negative affect, at baseline (T0) and 8 weeks later (T1). From T0 to T1, school 1 participated in MBI classes and school 2 in IS classes. Results: In school 1 (MBI), children improved their scores on all tests except reading (errors) and counting (errors) compared with school 2. No differences were observed between groups in terms of emotional health. Conclusion: It is feasible to implement MBI or SI in Brazilian public schools. Students in the MBI group presented broader effects in executive functions, while students in the SI group showed a trend toward reduced negative affect and depression symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this research is to determine the activities related to gaining critical reading skills included in the activities of reading texts of primary school (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th class) Turkish textbooks. Method: In this study, which was carried out with an analytical research design, document analysis technique was used to determine the activities aimed at gaining critical reading skills in the activities of reading texts in primary school Turkish textbooks by making an in-depth analysis. "Critical Reading Criteria" consisting of 50 items determined by İpek Eğilmez and Sadioğlu (2010) was used as a data collection tool in this study. Findings: Research findings showed that there are eight activities in TDK1A coded book, 12 in TDK1B coded book, 15 in TDK2 coded book, 13 in TDK3A coded book, 23 in TDK3B coded book and finally 24 activities in TDK4 coded book in the activities of primary school Turkish textbook reading texts. It was determined that 35 critical reading criteria were included in six textbooks examined at four grade levels. Implications: However, it was determined that these activities met less than half of the criteria in the "Critical Reading Criteria" even in the 4th grade where the criteria were met most. In this context, it is recommended to increase the activities that will develop critical reading skills in the books in line with expert opinions. Originality: Considering that the studies conducted in our country include the textbooks prepared before 2019, the examination of the primary school Turkish textbooks prepared in line with the Turkish Teaching Program updated in 2019 in terms of critical reading skills and drawing attention to the distribution of activities that provide critical reading skills in the textbooks, constitutes the original part of the research that contributes to the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Audiobooks offer increased accessibility and new ways of engaging with scholarly texts. Although the development of academic audiobooks is in a relatively early stage, one significant issue that is yet to receive appropriate attention is the presentation of referenced materials in audio form. Presently, this is approached on a case-by-case basis with no centralized industry standards, and so protocols are either set by individual publishers or negotiated between rights-holders and narrators. Narrators usually adopt one of four options for dealing with notes or other referencing tools: complete omission; addition of audio effects to differentiate the reading of references from the primary narrative; reading the reference notes at the end of a chapter or the book; or including with the audiobook files an optional PDF download with reference details. These options give consideration to aesthetic issues, but it is uncertain whether they do justice to questions of academic integrity. The purpose of this article is to encourage scholarly dialogue and a conversation between the audio publishing industry and academia on this issue, and to begin working towards a 'best practice' framework that satisfies questions of both aesthetic experience and academic integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We found three distinct styles of sharing books with young children. • Read aloud profiles differed in amount of challenging discourse and timing of talk. • Two profiles were similar to past research, but one profile differed. • Unlike earlier research, neither profiles or utterances predicted child outcomes. Although shared book reading is an extensively studied activity with young children, limited research has focused on typical, holistic patterns of teacher–child interactions during this routine classroom activity. This study sought to describe profiles of teacher talk during shared book reading in 98 pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classrooms. We also considered how identified profiles predicted a subset of students' (n = 300) end-of-year language and literacy performance. Video recordings of teacher–child interactions during reading of a narrative text were transcribed and analyzed for the timing, content, and form of utterances. Results of latent profile analysis revealed three distinct teacher profiles of talk during book reading that we termed: Moderate Comprehenders (MC, 68% of sample), Discuss & Reflect Comprehenders (DRC, 19%), and Preview & Discuss Comprehenders (PDC, 12%). These profiles differed most in the timing (e.g., before versus after reading for PDC and DRC, respectively) and content of talk (e.g., low- versus high-cognitive demand topics for MC vs. PDC/DRC). The less common DRC and PDC teacher profiles were associated with higher amounts of child talk and more elaborate child utterances within the reading session. However, no teacher profiles or features of teacher/child utterances during this one reading session predicted children's gains in language and literacy skills across the school year. Notably, the first profile in the present study differed from a past, seminal study of shared reading; however, the other two profiles were similar to earlier work on holistic styles of shared reading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Narrative texts are usually chosen rather than informational texts to promote language in the initial stages of schooling. This is based on the idea that children prefer narrative texts and that they are more appropriate for their age. However, some studies have shown that children not only understand informational texts, but also prefer them. This study examined the book preferences of a group of early readers at two times: kindergarten (N = 395) and first grade (N = 302). In order to test their preferences, each child was asked to review two narrative and two informational books, choose one, and justify their choice. In kindergarten, children preferred informational books significantly more than narrative books. At both times, a significant relationship between gender and book choice was found: boys chose informational texts significantly more than girls. The reasons given by children for choosing a book are not based on the type of text, but rather on the content, theme, and visual aspects, among others. These results are discussed in relation to the book options that are provided to children for their reading activities and the relevance of offering an array of different texts in the initial stages of reading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The habit of reading is a significant phase for creating a society of literate in this world. It natures an individual's personality and helps them find new ideas and the proper method for thinking. In the current situation, people cannot find much interest in reading books, magazines and journals etc., due to the domination of the media. As a result, there is a need to develop the habit of reading among the people in the society. In this paper, the author has discussed the factors determining the minds of juveniles based on improved reading habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children's and Young Adult books are an anomaly in many academic libraries and their presence is often overlooked or ignored. In particular, the dust jackets and other paratextual elements are often considered to be ephemeral and not worth preserving for the long term. However, a growing body of research based in the work of Gerard Genette's theories about paratext show that these elements are vitally important in literacy development to the readers of these books. This paper points to the importance of retaining and preserving all parts of the paratext, in particular the dust jackets and book covers, and advocates for changes in many current library policies that would encourage the preservation of paratext in these books. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the rapid growth of Internet, E-commerce and Internet of Things, people use Web based services for most of their needs including buying items, reading books, watching online shows etc. Several companies are using recommender systems to influence people's choices based on their likings, behaviours etc. Hence, people fear that their privacy is violated. Also, some of the online applications are not safe and secure. One way to overcome the privacy related issues is using secured solutions such as incorporating blockchain technologies for privacy-based applications. The decentralized nature of blockchain technologies have resolved several security, and authentication problems of Internet of Things systems. In this paper, we conduct a comprehensive survey on the privacy solutions for recommender systems emphasising current status, classification and open issues. We also discuss blockchain technology, including its structure as well as applications of blockchain technology for privacy solutions of recommender systems. Furthermore, we discuss the limitations and delve into future trends that blockchain technology can be adapted for privacy-base applications in the years to come. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children made up a substantial segment of the literate public that emerged during the Arab nahḍah period. Of these, an apparent minority applied skills they acquired in school to reading for pleasure or satisfying juvenile curiosity. This study explores the novel practice of Arab youth leisure-time reading as reported in retrospective memories and autobiographies. It reveals that during the nahḍah 's early decades, the inventory of Arabic readings fit for children was strikingly limited—unlike the multitude of books that were available to adults—a reality that forced curious boys and girls from different classes to make do with adult books for their after-school reading. This article examines cultural factors for that scarcity (primarily the status of children in society) and economic ones (e.g., publishers' business concerns) and considers its implications. Probing a seemingly marginal section of a wider scene, it sheds light on hitherto neglected facets of the Arab transition from widespread illiteracy to extensive literacy at this point in history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student's attitudes influence academic performances. In particular, self-efficacy, locus of control, and selfesteem had a positive impact on GPA, retention rate, satisfaction with college life. Despite the importance of students' attitudes in academic performance, there have been few studies on how positive attitudes can be developed. We examined the impact of motivational book reading on the development of self-efficacy, self-esteem, and locus of control. 96 business students participated in the experiment. The analysis revealed that motivational book reading significantly increased self-efficacy and locus of control. Additional exploratory analysis revealed that emotional intelligence positively influenced the change of self-esteem and locus of control. We discussed practical implications and future research issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]