Adult Reading Practices for Work and Leisure

Apparent reading deficiencies among entering workers, combined with increasing demands for highly skilled workers, have led business and industry to increase their training and education efforts. One aspect of this effort requires understanding the reading demands people in various occupations are likely to encounter. Using case studies and structured interviews, this study examines the reading practices of 99 adults across various occupational categories. Individual reading practices were characterized in terms of contents, materials, and uses for reading. Analyses of variance were conducted to examine the reading practices of those in different occupations and settings. It was found that reading volume for specific contents, materials, and uses were each significantly influenced by the occupational categories and settings in which reading occurred. The educational importance of accounting for this diversity in reading is discussed.