Abstract
The purposes of the present study were (1) to establish listening to recitations (listening to others read aloud without looking at the printed letters) as a new form of reading, in order to clarify the structure of attitudes regarding listening to recitations and to develop a scale for measuring them, and (2) to clarify the effect of the amount of time spent in such listening on attitudes regarding listening to recitations and on reading quantity. Results of a preliminary study investigating attitudes regarding listening to recitations in 322 sixth graders indicated that attitudes regarding listening to recitations (19 items) consisted of a 4-factor structure: comprehension (5 items), positive behavior (7 items), imagination (4 items), and motivation (3 items). Next, attitudes toward listening to recitations and reading quantity were measured in 279 sixth graders, who had been divided into 3 groups: (1) listening to recitations twice a week,(2) listening once a month, and (3) not listening to recitations. Results from measures taken after 3 and 6 months indicated that (1) positive attitudes regarding listening to recitations, and especially comprehension and imagination, were promoted by continuing such listening over a longer period, and (2) continuing to listen to recitations increased reading quantity.
