Reading for Fun Issues

National Endowment for the Arts Office of Research and Analysis produced
"To Read or Not to Read: A Question of National Consequence". Their concern was whether people are reading for pleasure.

They found -

Evaluate the issues surrounding recreational reading

Conduct a survey of your class. Do their findings hold up at your school?

Have you read a book for fun (not required for school or work)?

How often do you read a book for fun? daily, weekly. monthly, annually, never

Estimate the number of books in your room at home.

What other data could you use to evaluate the frequency of reading?

(Need help with percentages? MathFLIX free online Videos | Khan Academy free, online math videos)

Assess the issue locally-

Many schools and communities have programs to promote book reading.

What are the ones offered in your community?

What are the reading scores for your school/grade?

Have the reading promotion efforts been effective? Are kids reading more? Are they better readers?

 

Consider the real issue - Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading? Motoko Rich New York Times , July 27, 2008

How often do you read web based content for fun? daily, weekly. monthly, annually, never

What do you think? Is reading online - reading? The New Readers graphic

 

Career considerations:

Identify 3 jobs or careers that are related to people reading printed books.

 

What impact does a decline in reading printed material have on the careers in those jobs?

 

"The majority of Basic and Below-Basic readers— 62% and 77%, respectively—report earning weekly incomes below $650, while the majority of Proficient readers fall within the $850-or-more-per-week category. Fifty seven percent of Intermediate readers earn $650 or more per week." Department of Education’s 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy

Where do you fall in reading ability based on your last reading scores?

Basic, Below Basic, Intermediate, Proficient, Advanced

What do you predict this will mean for your future earnings?

Critical Thinkings

Cause and Effect?

Sunil Iyengar, the NEA presenter, reports that people who are proficient readers are more likely to volunteer and to vote.

Do you think there is a cause and effect relationship between reading and voting or reading and volunteering?

Motives behind Polls or Surveys

Read Analyze a Poll & Power In Numbers. Read the article Polls.

What motives are behind these reading surveys?

"There is no frigate like a book, To take us lands away." Emily Dickinson

Resources:

To Read or Not to Read LOC video

Further Reading on Reading NYT web extra

What Matters for Staying On-Track and Graduating in Chicago Public Schools?

Incredible Kids - The Baldwin Brothers Spread the joy of reading

Emergence - do things organize without an organizer?

Tech Tip: Working in a group or in two different places like the library & home? You do not have to be physically together to work together.
Watch Google Docs video TAI - How could you use free, Google Docs to do a project? How would this facilitate group projects?

Other Projects:

extra: Government, Statistics and the Media | eGovernment on the Web | Student Handbook Presentation | Fresh Water Math

Surveying - Why? | School Test Scores Campaign | How do you spend your time? | Great Outdoors Month event | Food + Activity = Weight