The Relationship of Academic and Recreational Reading Attitudes School Wide: A Beginning Study.

A study collected baseline data which measured students' attitudes toward reading in academic and recreational settings; determined if reading attitudes in academic and recreational settings changed over time; and investigated whether difference in attitudes toward reading exist between grades or when students were grouped by sex. Subjects were all students enrolled in grades 1-5 at an urban elementary school. The Elementary Reading Attitude Survey was administered as a pre- and posttest. Students were taught reading with a "rather traditional" literature-based basal series. Some of the reading experiences and activities used in the school included daily reading aloud to all students, daily sustained silent reading, shared reading experiences, home reading projects, and cross-age reading. Results indicated no statistically significant changes at any grade level. Qualitative data demonstrated that all students felt that they were readers and that they enjoyed reading. Findings suggest that the school environment as well as the classroom environment and the experiences that the students had with real life literacy played an important role in producing this positive attitude. (Contains 19 references.) (RS)