Graduate School of Library Science. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Abstract
Teaching children to read has been a central focus of our educational
system for over 350 years. Despite the variety of subjects treated in school,
reading usually has been viewed as the most prominent of "the three R's."
Teachers, parents and interested citizens today voice similar concern for
reading. Despite efforts to instill in all children the ability to read and the
habit of reading, schools are under attack for an apparent decline in student
reading achievement. School critics cite poor instruction, cluttered
curricula and a loss of teacher professionalism as major factors. School
supporters counter with the argument that the range of students who remain
in school has increased, causing score averages to decline; however,
the average student today is better educated and knows more about his
world than his counterpart of fifty years ago.
1 Both groups also note
changes in social climate, especially with the family unit, and the advent
of television as major contributors to reading problems.published or submitted for publicatio
