4
they have a few spare minutes and frequently carry books with them in case
they have to wait in line. (Ross, 2005: 4)
Lockwood also highlights its importance: “Reading for pleasure is one very important
and common manifestation of having a positive ‘attitude to reading’, which is another
term frequently used in the research and writing in this area. Having a positive attitude
to reading is obviously closely related to the concepts of ‘reading engagement’ and
‘reading motivation’” (Lockwood, 2008: 1).
Trying to explain why some people engage in leisure-time reading more than others,
researchers and practitioners have pointed to the importance of reading motivation.
Guthrie and Wigfield define reading motivation as “the individual's personal goals,
values and beliefs with regard to the topics, processes and outcomes of reading” and
highlight its important role (2000: 405). Reading engagement is a wider term/attribute,
which involves reading motivation but includes more than that. The OECD postulates
that “engagement in reading” includes reading for pleasure, reading widely and attitude
to reading (Kirsch et al, 2002). As Baket et al explain, when we say that someone is
engaged in an activity we usually mean that s/he is involved at a deep level; some
synonyms to this term would include absorbed, engrossed, interested, and involved
(Baker et al, 2000: 2). According to the same researchers, students are engaged readers
when they read frequently for interest, enjoyment and learning. As will be supported in
the next section, having a “literate lifestyle,” being engaged in reading, or put more
simply being a lifelong reader, has been shown to be the most important factor in
reading achievement.
