Re: At least they are reading something!

[Gary Hartzell <ghartz@CWIS.UNOMAHA.EDU>]

On Thu, 26 Sep 1996, Betty Dawn Hamilton wrote:
> On Wed, 25 Sep 1996, Eva Bennett wrote:
> > >     No, there is no research that I know of suggesting that reading bad
> > literature leads to avid consumption of good literature, or to better
> > reading skills, or to critical thinking skills; however, there is some
> > research documenting that the more one reads, the better one reads.  The old
> > saying, "practice makes perfect", is somewhat true.

> To add to that, I have noticed that as students *consume* those romances
> and horror books, they actually *complete* a book.  Then when you slip a
> book into their hands that has a bit more "meat" to it, they can't say
> they have never read an entire book.  They are just a little less afraid
> to try to *finish*!  One of my romance readers picked up Carson
> McCuller's _Member of the Wedding_ (modern cover) the other day and read
> it.  (The new books were all mixed together on the new book cart and
> _Member_ was one




You might see Stephen Krashen's 1993

        The Power of Reading:  Insights from the Research.
        (Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited
         ISBN 1-56308-006-0 )

He has a chapter on the effects/value of light reading and what the
research has to say about it (including comic books and teen romances) as
a conduit to more sophisticated and significant reading.

HOpe this helps.
                        Gary


------

Gary Hartzell
Associate Professor
Educational Administration
University of Nebraska at Omaha
ghartz@unomaha.edu
(402) 554-3442