A Comparative Study of the Reading Interests and Habits of Grade 12 Students in Selected Canadian and American Schools.

This study compared the reading interests and habits of American and Canadian senior high school students and examined the extent to which the English curricula in their s=hools coincide with those reading interests. Questionnaires were distributed to a total of 680 students in three schools (urban, suburban, and rural) in the New Britain, Connecticut, area and in three similar schools in the Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) area. English teachers and school librarians were also surveyed in regard to student reading interests and English curricula. Results of the study are reported according to the following categories: the degree to which students indicate they like to read and the number of books read per month; the most-liked and least-liked book titles; the most popular book categories; students, preference for paperback, rather than hardbound, books; ways in which students learn about book titles; the interaction of reading books and viewing movies made from the books; the extent to which students read comic books, newspapers, and magazines; student opinions about the school library; and student opinions and suggestions regarding the English curriculum in their schools. (Author/GW) Documents acquired by ERIC include many informal unpublished * materials not available from other sources. ERIC makes every effort * * to obtain the best copy available. Nevertheless, items of marginal * reproducibility are often encountered and this affects the quality * of the microfiche and hardcopy reproductions ERIC makes available * via the ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS) . BIM is not * responsible for the quality of the original dOcument. Reproductions * * supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original. U.S. OEPARTMENTOF HEALTH. PgIN EDUCATION & WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO. DUCE() EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION DRIGIN r-4 ATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS ” STATED 00 NOT NECESSARILY REPRE SENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY r-4 A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE READING INTERESTS AND HABITS OF GRADE 12 STUDENTS IN SELECTED CANADIAN AND AMERICAN SCHOOLS by Deborah Ann Stachelek PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS COPY. RIGHTED MATERIAL PAS BEEN GRANTED BY Deborah Ann Stachelek TO ERIC AND ORGANIZATIONS OPERATING UNDER AGREEMENTS WITH THE NATIONAL IN. BTECUTE OF EDUCATION FURTHER REPRO DUCTION OUTSIDE THE ERIC SYSTEM RE OUIRES PERMISSION OF ME COPYRIGHT OWNER The Central Connecticut State College Alumni Association in conjunction with The Central Connecticut State College Research Department Dr..Donald Gallo, faculty advisor September, 1976 With Special Thanks to The Central Connecticut State College Alumni Association and the Central Connecticut State College Research Department for sponsoring and funding this project. Dr. Joseph R. Dunn, Jr., Director of Research, Dr. Leon J. Gorski, Assistant in Research, and Mrs. Agnes Ostertag, secretary, of the Central Conneoticut State College Research Department for their assistance in planning the project. Dr. T.P. Atkinson, Coordinator, Division of Field Experiences and Mr. A. Kiffiak, Administrative Assistant, Division of Field Experiences, Faculty of Education, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada for their time and assistance in arranging for the distribution of questionnaires in the Albertan schools. For their permission and assistance in conducting the project, thanks to any of the cooperating schools’ teachers and librarians involved in distributing, administering, collecting and answering the questionnaires, and especially to: Dr. Joseph J. Delucia, principal, and Mts.Carol Luckenbach, English department head of Coginchaug Regional High School, Durham, Ct. Mr. John F. Shine, pkincipal, ‘and Dr.Roger Dennis, English department head of Avon High Sphool, Avon., Ct. Dr. David Johnson, principal, and Mr. William McNamara, English’ teacher, of Pulaski Senior High School, New Britain, Ct. Mr. L.W. Kruger, principal, and MrsJUdy Becklund, English department head, of Memorial Composite High School, Stony Plain, Alta. Mr. G. Kravetz, principal, and Mrs. E. Lien, English department head, of Salisbury Composite High School, Sherwood Park, Alta. Mr. D.R. Terriff, principal, and Mr. James MacInnis, English department head, of Victoria Composite High School, Edmonton, Alta. Dr. Tom Blowers, Director of Research of Research, Research and Evaluation, and Mrs. I Hargreaves, Supervisor of Language Arts, Edmonton Public Schools, for permission to conduct this project in Victoria Composite High School, Edmonton, Alta. Dr. Donald Gallo, the faculty advisor of this project, for planting the seeds of the project in my mind -a love and curiosity ior adolescent reading interests and literature, and for all his time, advice and patience in answering questions, quest1ons and more questiohs and in wading through seemingly endless scotch-taped and scribbled-over pages of the rough draft. My parents, for their patience and sacrifice of the dining room which becamo my research study center with piles of questionnaires, papers and more papers, for many months. Murray D. Cruickshank, for all his time spent in the mechanics f the project, patience in the collating of the questionnaires, and endless encouragement that led to this finished paper.