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| The Real-World Reading Practices of Adults | ||
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| M
Cecil Smith Northern Illinois University |
This study used a diary method to obtain detailed information about the reading practices of a sample of adult readers with diverse educational and occupational experiences. Reading practices were identified in two principal settings, home and work. Participants were found to read periodicals and books at home both to engage in leisure and to perform a variety of functional tasks. They read informational materials, correspondence, and functional texts at work to perform workplace-related tasks. Readers' efforts at and enjoyment of the reading tasks they engaged in varied depending on the texts and purpose for reading. Several strategic actions were reported when adults were reading to learn and remember text information, but most readers relied on activation of prior knowledge, rereading of text, and note taking. The study also examined the role of the social contexts of age, educational attainment, and occupation in contributing to adult reading behavior. A significant three-way interaction was found between reading source, setting, and occupation only. The results support the findings of previous readership studies and further illustrate how specific social context factors account for differences in adults’ reading practices. | |
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| JLR v. 32 no. 1 2000 pp. 25–52 |
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