Arab World English Journal
AWEJ Vol.2 No.4 December 2011 PP. 37-57
Early Reading Habits and their Impact on the Reading Literacy
of Qatari Undergraduate Students
Dr. Rachid Bendriss
Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar
Doha, Qatar
Dr. Krystyna Golkowska
Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar
Doha, Qatar Early Reading Habits Bendriss , Golkowska
Abstract
This article discusses a study on the roles of family involvement and school influence in the formation of reading habits of Qatari secondary education students. Information for the study was gathered from surveys of Qatari high school graduates entering North American colleges in Doha, Qatar. The data showed links between reading extensively and confidence in reading, between being read to and forming the habit of free voluntary reading, and between parental recreational reading and that of their children. Based on their findings, the authors propose practical solutions for educators and education policy makers that would improve the reading literacy of Qataris and contribute to building a knowledge-based economy in their country.
Keywords: Literacy, reading habits, fluent reading