Struggling Readers Study

A recent national survey reveals that nearly half of students in third through eighth grades struggle with reading, prompting teachers to seek more training in foundational literacy skills. 40% of teachers had misconceptions about how students develop word reading skills; almost half based their reading instruction on their classroom experience, and fewer than a quarter mentioned professional development as their main source of knowledge. The study also found that evidence-based practices focused on younger students; older students require tailored support to overcome reading challenges.

Kaufman, J. (2024). What's missing from teachers' toolkits to support student reading in grades 3-8? RAND.

https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA3358-1.html 

Book Banning Report

 A series of studies assessed parental perceptions of libraries and librarians. The results showed that the vast majority of parents trust librarians and do not think book banning is appropriate. School librarians were deemed as “essential” staff in a school, and parents felt their students were not only safe in school libraries but that the professionals were well-suited to selecting age- and content- appropriate material. School librarians (as well as their peers in public libraries) were ranked among the top five most trustworthy professionals. New national research further supports the fact that most Americans disagree with banning and restricting access to books in school libraries.

Knight Foundation. (2024). American's views on book restrictions in U.S. public schools 2024. Knight Foundation.

https://knightfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Americans-Views-on-Book-Restrictions-in-U.S.-Public-Schools-2024.pdf

Screen time study

 A recent study found that reducing screen time among children and teens led to fewer behavioral difficulties, with noticeable decreases in peer-related and emotional issues and improvements in positive social interactions. Findings showed that the total difficulties score, which measures behavioral and emotional issues, decreased by an average of 1.67 points more in the intervention group than in the control group.

Schmidt-Perrson, J. (2024). Short-term screen time reduction improves mental health in children and adolescents. JAMA Network Open. 

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/short-term-screen-time-reduction-improves-mental-health-2024a1000d19?form=fpf

College readiness research

Findings from a study (First-Years' Information Literacy Backpacks: What's Already Packed or Not Packed?) examined college research readiness among first-year college students in New Jersey. The authors analyzed qualitative responses from a survey of 325 students using inductive coding. They identify a taxonomy of information literacy skills in three levels: information management, critical thinking, and metaliteracy. Based on their findings and the identified needs of students in the transition from high school to college, the authors propose several implications for instructional designers, including further using learning management systems, incorporating inquiry-based learning, teaching advanced search techniques, and assessing or measuring information literacy skills. The authors suggest further attention to critical thinking, inquiry, and metacognitive approaches in information literacy instruction for K-12 and academic librarians. The authors also propose several areas for future research, such as developing collaborations between high school and academic librarians, examples of successful or innovative instruction, and measurements of information literacy

 Boyer, B., & Dziedzic-Elliott, E. (2023). What I had, what I needed: First-year students reflect on how their high school experience prepared them for college research. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 49(4), 102742. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2023.102742 

International School Library Studies

 Five recent studies on school libraries, four from Australia and one global one, examine copyright, collection development, information literacy, reading, staffing and services. 

1. Discovering a good read: Exploring book discovery and reading for pleasure among Australian teens 
   
   
2. ‘Being a Global Citizen’: Australian Secondary Teacher Librarians in the Changing Information Landscape 
   
   
3. Curate, advocate, collaborate: Updating a school library collection to promote sustainability and counter eco-anxiety 
   
   
4. Academic integrity and copyright literacy policy and instruction in K-12 schools: A global study from the perspective of school library professionals 
   
   
5. The 2023 Softlink Australian School Library Survey Report

Broadley, A., & Manuell, R. (2024, May 24). Researching education: 5 further readings on school libraries. Teacher Magazine.

https://www.teachermagazine.com/au_en/articles/researching-education-5-further-readings-on-school-libraries 

Print vs Digital Reading Study

A new study found that when students read digital texts for leisure it had almost no impact on their reading comprehension. This study was an analysis of 25 studies, published between 2000 and 2022, involving about 470,000 participants from at least three dozen countries. Given the minimal connection observed between digital leisure reading and reading comprehension, Altamura and her co-authors estimate that if a student spends 10 hours reading in print in their free time, their ability to comprehend will likely be six to eight times higher than if they read on digital devices for the same amount of time. 

Altamura, L., Vargas, C., & Salmerón, L. (2023). Do New Forms of Reading Pay Off? A Meta-Analysis on the Relationship Between Leisure Digital Reading Habits and Text Comprehension. Review of Educational Research, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543231216463

Literacy Development Review

The IMLS commissioned a review of research literature that examines the effects of motivation to read and within reading programs in communities and, particularly, public libraries.” The report “identif[ies] research studies that focused on the effectiveness of reading strategies that emphasized motivations when promoting reading. This study summarizes several evidence-based practices tied to increasing motivation used during programs, instructional practices, and family engagement activities which are focused on child literacy and community participation.”

Guven, O., & Haddah, Y. (2024). Research on motivation, literacy, and reading development: A review of best practice. ILMS. 

https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/2024-04/research-motivation-literacy-reading-development-report.pdf