This thesis is a study of the cultural history of children’s reading. It is argued that it is important to apply a wider historical perspective to the contemporary debate on the rapid changes in children’s and young people’s reading habits, and that existing historical research rarely deals with reading as a practice, but rather with its institutional and textual conditions such as the school, the library system and children’s literature. The thesis thus aims to explore the practice of reading and its relations to historical circumstances.Through a close reading of 30 retrospective interviews conducted in the 1970’s and 80’s, the analysis deals with some of the experienced motives, inter- pretations, materialities and social dimensions of children’s reading practices experienced in the first decades of the 20th century. It offers a discussion of these practices as related to wider historical contexts. Theoretically, the analysis is in- spired by the conceptualizations of a ‘history of reading’ in the works of Roger Chartier, Robert Darnton and Jonathan Rose.It is concluded that even if the informants in principle had access to different models, motives and genres for reading, the practice of reading often had to take on the character of improvisation in contexts where material resources and soci- al sympathies for reading were lacking. Furthermore, in relation to the complex social tensions and dynamics surrounding reading, the practice may also be defined by its degree of legitimacy and/or autonomy in a given context.These results imply that further research and debate is needed on the con- nections between the value attributed to reading in relation to changing concepts of work and “usefulness”, on the collective historical experiences of cultural progression, and on issues of the identity of the modern children’s library. / Akademisk avhandling som med tillstånd av Forsknings- och utbildningsnämnden vid Högskolan i Borås framläggs till offentlig granskning klockan 13.00 fredagen den 16 december 2011 i sal M506, Högskolan i Borås

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not the introduction of a regular librarian-centered reading guidance program as an integral part of the entire school program would improve the reading attitudes and habits of elementary school students and increase the reading achievement scores on a standardized test of elementary school students. In addition, the reading attitudes of students were compared with reading achievement scores to assess any relationship between the two.

Submitted by Rosina Valeria Lanzellotti Mattiussi Teixeira (rosina.teixeira@unisantos.br) on 2017-05-24T16:55:30Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Jesse Camatari Reis.pdf: 2180546 bytes, checksum: be60fdf980ed6b65a4ddad4b6127ead8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-24T16:55:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Jesse Camatari Reis.pdf: 2180546 bytes, checksum: be60fdf980ed6b65a4ddad4b6127ead8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-04-24 / This paper aims to indicate elements for the training of teachers who work in children's education, as well as their interventions in the constitution of the reader subject, based on the perceptions of the pedagogical teacher of the Pedagogia / Parfor course (Decree 6755/09). It is assumed that the interventions of the teacher in the classroom can contribute to the constitution and formation of the reader. The research, of qualitative approach, is developed in three stages. The first focuses on the contribution of scholars on the subject of reading, evidencing the work of Monteiro Lobato and official documents, which deal with reading practices for children's education. The second one is developed through the application of a questionnaire to the teacher-students of Pedagogy / Parfor. And the third occurs through interviews with teacher trainers. When dealing with teacher training for the formation of the reader, three categories of analysis are identified: reading habits; Influence of reading in the formation of the reader; And challenges / difficulties in the context of teacher training for the teaching performance in the formation of the reader. The results show the importance of discussing and problematizing reading and reading, as well as the role of teachers and their interventions in the formation of new readers in the area of early childhood education. / Este trabalho objetiva, a partir das percepções do professor formador do curso de Pedagogia/Parfor (Decreto 6755/09), indicar elementos para a formação do professor que atua na educação infantil, bem como suas intervenções na constituição do sujeito leitor. Parte-se do pressuposto que as intervenções do professor em sala podem contribuir na constituição e formação do sujeito leitor. A pesquisa, de abordagem qualitativa, desenvolve-se em três etapas. A primeira centra-se na contribuição de estudiosos sobre a temática da leitura, evidenciando-se a obra de Monteiro Lobato e documentos oficiais, que tratam das práticas de leitura para a educação infantil. A segunda se desenvolve por meio da aplicação de questionário junto aos professores-estudantes da Pedagogia/Parfor. E a terceira ocorre mediante realização de entrevistas com professores formadores. Ao tratar da formação do professor para a formação do leitor, identificam-se três categorias de análise: hábitos de leitura; influência da leitura na formação do leitor; e desafios/dificuldades no contexto de formação de professores para a atuação docente na formação do leitor. Como resultados, evidenciam-se a importância de se discutir e problematizar a leitura e o que é ler, bem como o papel do professor e suas intervenções na formação de novos leitores no espaço da educação infantil.

This two years master’s thesis in Library and Information Science examines book reviews and articles aboutbooks and authorship in media directed to children between the ages of 8 and 14. The aim is to increase knowledgeof children’s reading choices and view of reading. This is motivated by the decrease in literacy and sparetime reading among Swedish children and adolescents. The thesis’ methodology is based upon critical discourseanalysis developed by Norman Fairclough, and as complement to his theory John Tomlinsons sociologicaltheory of the condition of immediacy is used. Book reviews and articles from the Swedish magazine ”Kamratposten”were chosen to be the material for this study.The analyses revealed four different discourses about what constituted reading: a discourse of fiction, a discourseof speed, a discourse of excitement, and a discourse of originality. These were then discussed in the contextof social practice, drawing upon Tomlinsons theory of immediacy and several articles about children’s andadolescent’s relationships to new electronic medias. The major conclusion of the thesis’ study is that althoughthe reading habits among children and adolescents are changing, this do not need to be the cause of a nonreadingattitude but a result of a change in the way kids read and process information, caused by the emergenceof electronic media.

The growing concern that teenagers don't read, led to this study. The study is preceded by an explanation of aspects in which the teenager develops, the value of reading and the influence of the environment on the teenager's utilisation of leisure time. In the study, a total of 478 Afrikaans-speaking pupils from grade seven to grade ten completed different questionnaires, whereby their reading interests and habits were determined. Some of the important findings of the study are: - although teenagers indicated their preference of fiction reading as that of horror and ghost stories, the romantic Sweet Valley series is read the most; - they prefer main characters who have the same religion and interests as they have; - cartoons and the periodical, Huisgenoot, are popular with all age groups; - books in Afrikaans are seemingly not popular; - the title and blurb are "decisive in the choice of a book; - teenagers consider it as normal that so little time is spent on reading; A few recommendations are made at the end of the study. / Die groeiende kommer dat tienderjariges nie lees nie, het tot die studie gelei. Die studie is voorafgegaan deur 'n uiteensetting van die aspekte waarvolgens tienderjariges ontwikkel; die waarde van lees en die invloed van die omgewing op tienderjariges se vryetydsbesteding. In die studie het 'n totaal van 478 Afrikaanssprekende leerlinge vanaf graad sewe tot graad tien verskillende vraelyste ingevul, waardeur hul leesbelangstellings en -gewoontes vasgestel is. Van die belangrikste bevindings van die studie is: ~ alhoewel tienderjariges aangedui het dat hulle gruwelverhale of spookstories as leesbelangstelling van fiksie verkies, word die romantiese Sweet Valley reeks die meeste gelees; - hoofkarakters wat dieselfde geloof aanhang en belangstellings as hulle het, word verkies; - strokiesprente en die tydskrif, Huisgenoot, is by alle ouderdomsgroepe gewild; - boeke in Afrikaans is skynbaar nie gewild nie; - die titel en die flapteks is deurslaggewend in die keuse van 'n boek; - tienderjariges beskou dit as normaal dat so min tyd aan lees spandeer word, 'n Paar aanbevelings word aan die einde van die studie gemaak. / Information Science / M.Inf. (Information Science)

I denna studie undersöktes avkodningsförmåga, läshastighet, motivationsgrad och läsvanor hos 40 vuxna personer, som grupperades utifrån kön, ålder och utbildningsnivå. För att testa avkodningsförmåga användes LäsKedjor-2 (Jacobsson, Läskedjor-2, 2014), för att testa läshastighet användes DLS Läshastighet (Järpsten, DLS läshastighet, 2002) och för att skatta motivationsgrad och läsvanor skapades Självrapport av uppsatsförfattaren själv. Testresultaten omräknades till staninevärden. Ingen signifikant skillnad uppmättes beträffande kön eller ålder på något av testerna. Signifikans beträffande utbildningsnivå uppmättes på alla test utom på det första deltestet i LäsKedjor-2, Bokstavskedjor, samt på läsvanor i Självrapport. Det befanns vara stark korrelation (r=0,62) mellan höga resultat på läshastighet och hög motivationsgrad relaterad till läsning. / In this study decoding skill and reading speed was tested together with level of reading motivation and reading habits in 40 adults, grouped by gender, age and educational level. To test decoding skill LäsKedjor-2 (Jacobsson, Läskedjor-2, 2014) was used, to test reading speed DLS Läshastighet (Järpsten, DLS läshastighet, 2002) was used, and to test level of reading motivation and reading habits the self-assessment questionnaire Självrapport was constructed by the author. The results were transformed into a staninescale. No significant difference was observed regarding gender or age in any of the tests. Significance regarding educational level was observed in all tests except the first part of LäsKedjor-2, Bokstavskedjor, and in reading habits in Självrapport. A strong correlation (r=0,62) was evident in high results in reading speed and high level of reading motivation.

This diploma thesis deals with the problems of child literacy and the environmental factors which condition its origin and development. My work maps the importance of external environmental determiners that affect reading comprehension and attitudes to reading including motivation and reading habits. The theoretical part looks into the elements of the children's reading process such as gaining skills and sub-skills, self-reflection and forms of aids to support reading in school and family - these two factors are the crucial ones. My work also considers the role of institutions such libraries but also the media and devices (TV, PC, the Internet). The empirical part presents the results of questionaires collected from the research of fourth grade elementary school students and their parents. The aim of the research was to see how is reading comprehension reflected in the assessment of children own reading skills of 4th grade pupils. Further, the thesis deals with how the influence of the family is reflected in the performance of reading comprehension and in the pupil's reading skills. Key words Environmental influences, reading literacy, reading habits, reading comprehension, reading self-concept.

The aim of this study consists of two major parts: in the first place, the goal is to show to which extent the reading behavioral patterns as well as the reading methods of children and the youth have changed and developed during the past few decades. In the second place, the focus of the study shifts to the educational situation in which German as a foreign language is being taught. Important differences between mother tongue and foreign language education are pointed out and guidelines are given concerning the usage of reading as an important skill in the process of mastering German successfully. The activity of “reading” has been an integral part of the human composition and lifestyle since the earliest days of known human existence. The reading of a vastly different range of literature enriches a person’s life in a variety of ways and influences a person’s thoughts and deeds greatly to a positive extent. The reading of different types of literature can lead to the acquirement of new knowledge as well as the development of existing knowledge, new or unknown facts and information can be discovered and reading can also be utilized for the means of pure relaxation. Quite a large number of factors have contributed during the course of the last few decades to a negative development and decline in the reading patterns as well as the reading methods of the society in general – for example, the new innovations in technology, especially the increasing usage of the computer, as well as the hustled and hurried human lifestyle in which time as a very valuable and precious commodity has become extremely limited. Mainly due to above-mentioned factors a definite decline in the reading activities of children and the youth can be observed and therefore this distressing trend forms one of the major focus points of this mini-dissertation. One of the most important and influential role players in the process of establishing an early liking and love for reading is undeniably and obviously the parental home, as well as the parents’ reading behavior and habits. Another and equally important role player in the development of desired reading behavior of children and the youth are the schools and/or other educational institutions. Consequently another focus point of this study will therefore be the reading methods, which are applied in the teaching situation and the reader in a foreign language situation, as well as the reading process which takes place during the learning of a foreign language (such as German) will specifically be taken into consideration. The latter is especially important in the South African context, because German in this country is mainly being taught as a foreign language. Reading as one of the four main skills (reading; listening; speaking; writing) required in the process of learning a new (foreign) language has been a subject of scientific research since the beginning of the 20th century. In the past few decades a variety of studies in the fields of sociology, didactics and linguistics have been undertaken and the diverse theories that have resulted from these studies are a prominent fact. The interest in the reading habits of children and the youth has been rekindled during the recent decade or two and in-depth studies have indicated to which extent learners’ reading skills not only influence their ability to master a foreign language, but also contribute to the learning of other study material as well. Studies that were undertaken in Germany were mainly being made use of during the research process of this mini-dissertation, in view of the fact that the focus of the material is of course German as a foreign language. The method of research, which was applied in this mini-dissertation, is mainly a literature study and analysis. Several theories concerning the reading habits and reading behavior and/or –disposition of children and the youth towards the various forms of literature, the sociology of different reading types and the importance of the development of reading skills in especially the teaching of German as a foreign language are being investigated, analysed, discussed and compared in the various chapters. Relevant and timely information has been obtained from a comprehensive range of literary sources. Books, magazine articles, reference books as well as the internet (especially concerning the results of the most recent studies being done in German schools) have been used extensively to gather relevant information, which have consequently been compiled in such a way that for example teachers could consult and utilise this mini-dissertation in a practical and useful manner, wherever applicable. / Dissertation (MA (German))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Modern European Languages / unrestricted

The diploma thesis focuses on reading of the ninth grade school pupils. The aim is to evaluate the influence of school teaching of the subject Czech language and literature on pupils and their approach to reading. The theoretical part introduces key terms, importance of reading, factors influencing the reading of children and youth, reading of pubescents and deals with the role of the school in forming of reading habits. The research was carried out in the ninth grade of lower-secondary school. It was a qualitative method in the form of questionnaires. Specific research questions have been identified in cooperation with the school and the teacher. The research results - in the context of the suggestions offered by the school - provide feedback for the school and teacher.

The problem addressed by this investigation is whether the provision of centralized school library services is related to the reading habits and reading abilities of elementary school children. In considering this problem, a survey approach was utilized which entailed the examination of standardized reading achievement test scores, student reading records, and parent, teacher, and student questionnaire responses.