What Johnny likes to read is hard to find in school

RESEARCH ABOUT the importance of interest in learning suggests that students who have access to materials of interest are more likely to read and thus to improve their reading achievement and attitudes. This study examined the reading preferences and access to reading materials of sixth-grade students from three middle schools in a large ethnically and economically diverse southwestern U.S. school district. Preference surveys and open-ended questions about favorite materials and authors showed that the most preferred materials among students were scary books and stories, comics and cartoons, magazines about popular culture, and books and magazines about sports. Other popular materials were drawing books, books and magazines about cars and trucks, series books, funny books, and books about animals. Comparisons by gender, income, reading attitude, and achievement found more similarities than differences. Students' school access to reading materials was examined through a student questionnaire and through interviews with their teacher and librarians. The majority of students obtained reading materials from purchased sources (stores or their homes) rather than schools and libraries. Classrooms ranked a distant last for book sources among even low-income students. interviews with teachers and librarians along with classroom visits showed that the availability of the most popular materials was limited across schools and classrooms.