NCTE 2023

Research done during the last few decades has produced very good news: It has been reported and confirmed that self-selected pleasure reading has very positive effects. It increases literacy development and knowledge, and gives us a better understanding of others. This has been reported in first and second language development, as well as in heritage language development.

This good news is not, however, widely known. There are several possible explanations: (1) the research evidence is buried in lengthy and often incomprehensible journal papers and technical books, and (2) professional books and journals are very expensive. The obvious solution: encourage clearly written and shorter research reports, published in open-access and less expensive journals.

Even if this information becomes better known, a problem remains: The cost of making sure young readers have access to comprehensible and highly interesting books. The obvious source: school and public libraries. Studies confirm that students in schools with better supplied libraries and with the service of a credentialed librarian do better on tests of reading comprehension.