AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF THE CONTENTS OF

SELECTED CHILDREN'S MAGAZINES

A THESIS

SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION,

ATLANTA UNIVERSITY, IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS

BY

JOAN MARIE WILKERSON

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

ATLANTA UNIVERSITY

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

MAY 1967 £

TABLE OF CONTENTS - Continued

Chapter Page

Activity Content of the Five Magazines 38

Percentage of Activity Content by Magazines. . . 38

Types of activities in the Magazines . 39

Provisions for Reading Growth and Development. . 42

Special Feature Content of the Five Magazines. . . 42

Percentage of Special Feature Content by

Magazines. • . . • 42

Types of Special Features in the Magazines. ... 43

Provisions for Reading Growth and Developments. . 46

Interpretative Summaries. ............. 46

III. SUMMARIES, CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, AND RECOM

MENDATIONS 51

Introductory Statement. .............. 51

Locale and Research Design of the Study 52

Locale of Study. ......... 52

Method of Research. ••• 52

Materials 52

Instruments. .................. 53

Criterion of Reliability 53

Procedural Steps. .. ...... 53

Summary of Related Literature 54

Summary of Basic Findings. ••• 55

Conclusions. •••• 36

Implications. ..............•••• 57

Recommendations. ...... 57

APPENDIX 59

BIBLIOGRAPHY 62

VITA 66

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The writer wishes to express her appreciation to the many

people who have assisted in making possible the completion of this

research.

Special thanks to Dr. Edward K. Weaver and Mrs. Vera C. Penn,

Advisor and Co-advisor, respectively, Dr. Laurence E. Boyd and

Mrs. Miriam H. Jellins, Consultants, for their cooperation,

suggestions and guidance throughout the period of this research.

J.M.W.

ii

DEDICATION

to

My Family

and

Friends

for

Their Sincere Encouragement and Patience

J.M.W.

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii

DEDICATION iii

LIST OF TABLES vi

Chapter

I. INTRODUCTION 1

Rationale 1Evolution of the Problem. . 4Contribution to Educational Knowledge 5

Statement of the Problem 5

Purposes of the Study. ■ 5

Definition of Terms 6Method of Research. ... ...••>•• 7Description of Instruments and Materials. . . , . . 7

Limitations of the Study . . 8

Locale of the Study. ......... 9Procedural Steps 9Survey of Related Literature 9

II. PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF THE DATA. . 21

Introductory Statement. •••• ...» 21Fictional Content of the Five Magazines 23Percentage of fictional Content by Magazines. . . 23

Types of Fiction in the Magazines. ...... • 24Provisions for Reading Growth and Development. . 27

Non-Fictional Content of the Five Magazines. ... 28

Percentage of non-fictional Content by

Magazines. . . . . 28Types of Non-Fiction in the Magazines 29Provisions for Reading Growth and Development. . 32

Verse Content of the Five Magazines 34Percentage of Verse Content by Magazines. ... 35

Types of Verses in the Magazines 35

Provisions for Reading Growth and Development. . 38

iv

LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

1. Analysis of the Fictional Content of the Five Children's

Magazines on the Basis of Percentage Rating 24

2. Analysis of the Type and Percentage of Fictional Content

for the Five Children's Magazines 25

3. Analysis of the Non-Fictional Content of the Five

Children's Magazines on the Basis of Percentage

Rating 29

4. Analysis of the Type and Percentage of Non-Fictional

Content for the Fiwe Children's Magazines 30

5. Analysis of the Verse Content of the Five Children's

Magazines on the Basis of Percentage Rating 35

6. Analysis of the Type and Percentage of Verse Content

for the Five Children's Magazines 36

7. Analysis of the Activity Content of the Five Children's

Magazines on the Basis of Percentage Rating 39

8. Analysis of the Type and Percentage of Activity Content

for the Five Children's Magazines. 40

9. Analysis of the Special Feature Content of the Five

Children's Magazines on the Basis of Percentage

Rating 43

10. Analysis of the Type and Percentage of Special Feature

Content for the Five Children's Magazines 44

11. Distribution of the Frequency Percentages of the

Treatment of the Respective Analysis Areas: Fiction,

Non-Fiction, Verse, Activities, and Special Features

in the Contents of the Five Selected Magazines. .... 47

vi

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Rationale.—One important source of reading material for

children is children's magazines, A child who reads at his own

option for relaxation, amusement, or interest (other than those

relating to educational obligations) is inclined to involve mental

activities.

A child can gain much information from reading children's

magazines because there are many values, such as short stories,

rhymes, crossword puzzles, mysterious coded messages, games, cut

outs, poems and things-to-do, which uniquely belong to children's

magazines. The relative brevity of most of the material is

encouraging to a reluctant or slow reader.1

The researcher did not deal with the formal instructional

reading program of the school but with the analysis of the contents of

a few selected magazines which may enhance interest in reading. It is

often heard that a concern for developing real powers in reading must

resort to a direct effort to create a situation of which the child

becomes a continuing, self-propelling reader.

•'•Dorothy T. Spoenl, "Magazines and Newspaper of Children,"Childhood Education. XXXXII (April, 1962), 301

May Hill Arbuthnot stated that:

Magazines and newspapers demand reading skills.

In many ways, they call for techniques different

from those required in reading books. For

instance, children need to understand the tech

niques of reading a newspaper news story with its

inverted-pyramid style paragraph. Many skills,

on the other hand, are essentially the same:

critical skills, comprehension, and varied rate of

reading. Picture reading is another essential

technique and one that should be given considera

tion.

Magazines and newspaper can supplement standard

classroom materials. They can complement the

study of particular units, can provide various

opinions on subjects and can engender enthusiasm

for certain topics. But they, like other class

room materials, need to be carefully selected,

and children need to be provided with techniques

for reading them appropriately. Many enthusiasm

from magazines and newspapers, which can, therefore,

act as springboards to other reading.

The researcher felt that reading is a way of learning. Maureen

Thur related that slower pupils become more interested in reading

when they find that they can finish a story or an article in one

sitting; they feel a sense of pride and accomplishment each time

they complete certain material. Some authorities have found that

study skills have improved as children comply to rhymes, fill in

blanks, work crossword puzzles, decipher mysterious coded messages,

follow directions for specific projects, and similar activities.2

Reading is one experience which may bring ideas

into unity of purpose, for in our rich environment

with endless variety of printed materials most

*May Hill Arbuthnot, Children and Books (Chicago: Scott, Fores-

man and Company, 1964), p. 640.

2Maureen Thur, "Children Magazines in the Classroom," Instructor,

LXXIV (May, 1964), 19.

3

people have some ready assess to knowledge.

The realization that learning comes about as the

individual is involved in experiences leads to new

ways of organizing school life.2

Efforts by adults to inspire children to do reading other than

course work tend to relax the children while not becoming lax in

their reading habits. The carry-over value of magazine reading is

tremendous.3 Pupils often become more interested and curious about

what they read and ask questions; many times authoritative sources

have been invited to speak or demonstrate material of interest.

The researcher felt that children's magazines provide an extended

enrichment program for boys and girls.

In magazines, there is something for all. Boys prefer science

and exploration; while girls tend to be more interested in mysteries,

folktales, stories featuring horses - and lately - recipes. Kitchen

projects have been followed through at home and taste tested by the

class. Magazines have triggered several classroom science demon

strations. An increase in creative writing is activated by reading

poems and verses by other children; plus the children's families are

closely united by conversations the children bring up and discuss

during meals.

1F. D. Hines and M. Jenkins, "Reading for Responsible Citizenship,"

Childhood Education, XXXXII (November, 1961), 102.

2Ibid,,p.103.

3Maureen Thur, loc. cit., p. 19.

4Ibid.

4

Due to these facts, the writer is of the opinion that guidance

provided in reading magazines is just as important as reading

selections of literature which are alleged to insure stimulating

experiences.

In attempting to engender reading interests, teachers should

themselves cultivate desirable reading interests and provide oppor

tunities for children to compare different types of magazines and

to develop standards for use in selecting magazines-*- for the best

educational and recreational values.

Learning is an individual matter, and man learns at his own

rate. Keeping intellectual pace with a developing world will always

be one of man's great social problems. The investigator of this

study wished to offer more emphasis on children reading according

to their interest, needs, and desires rather than reading for

specific educational assignments. As some unknown author said:

The Fog can veil

But it cannot obliterate

When it lifts

We shall see things as they are.

Growth and meaning and memorable experiences to every child help him

more fully appreciate the world in which he lives.

Evolution of the problem.--As librarian in an elementary school,

the writer had the opportunity to observe the reading habits of

elementary school children. It seemed that only a few pupils turned

voluntarily to reading academic materials, instead it appeared that

■"■Walter S. Monroe, ed. Encyclopedia of Educational Research

(New York: Macmillan Company, 1950), p. 708.

5

they preferred children's magazines. Therefore, the question arose,

"Are the contents of these children's magazines educational as well as

recreational?" The writer felt that children's magazines could play

a vital role in retaining a rewarding interest in reading.

Contribution to educational knowledge.--Magazines can contribute

to the educational and recreational life of children; since children

read magazines, adults should be aware of the contents of these

magazines. The researcher believed that the major contribution to

educational thought and practice to be derived from the findings of

this study would be the extent to which it serves as an aid to parents,

librarians, and teachers in selecting children's magazines which

provide extended enrichment experiences for the children.

Statement of the problem.--The problem of this study was to

ascertain whether selected children's magazines contain material which

the literature has established as essential for the reading growth and

development of children.

Purposes of the study.--The major purpose of this study was to

analyze the content of a selected number of children's magazines

published currently. The more specific purposes of this study were:

1. To determine the frequency with which selected

magazines presented content in the areas of:

a. Fiction, as manifested in articles on

adventure, recreation, mystery, family

life, growing-up, citizenship, world

relationships, nature, and science.

b. Non-fiction, as manifested in articles on

manners and conduct, health and safety,

nature, science, holidays, art apprecia

tion, music, careers, clubs, sports,

history, geography, biography, and

literature: myths and legends, fairy tales,

fables, and folk tales.

c. Verses, as written by children, about

children, animals, nature.

d. Activities, as manifested in the articles

concerning hobbies, things-to-do, jokes,

riddles, picture word stories, cut-outs,

and games.

e. Special features, as manifested in articles

on comics: entertainment, literary, histori

cal; reviews: books, records, movies;

letters to the editor, and editorials.

2. To identify and quantify the provisions for reading

growth and development inherent in each analysis

area. The provisions are: vocabulary growth, person

al enrichment, supplemental information, individual

differences, reading for different purposes, enter

tainment, thinking skills, and comprehension.

Definition of terms.--The writer felt that the following terms

needed clarification for this study:

1. The term "children's magazines" as used in this

study refers to a student periodical in booklet

formlcontaining sketches, stories, verses,

activities, and other features of current interest

which through reading may benefit children edu

cationally and recreationally.

2. The term "content analysis" as used in this study

refers to a research technique for the objective,

systematic, and quantitative description of the

manifest content of communication.2 This analysiswas to determine the frequency of the contents of

selected children's magazines.

3. The term "reading growth and development" as used

in this study refers to the progression, compre

hension, appreciation, and maturity one acquires

^•Carter V. Good, ed. Dictionary of Education (New York: McGraw-

Hill Book Company, Inc., 1945), p. 110.

2Bernard Berelson, Content Analysis of Communication Research

(Glencoe, Illinois: The Free Press, 1952), p. 18.

through educational and recreational reading

experiences.

Method of research.--The Descriptive Method of Research, utilizing

content analysis, was used to conduct this study.

Description of instruments and materials.--The materials and

instruments which were used in this study were:

1. The magazines used in the development of this

analytical study were the 1966 issues of five

children's magazines from January to December

published monthly, namely:

Titles

Child Life

Children's Digest

Highlights for Children

Jack and Jill

Wee Wisdom

Age

6 -

5 -

4 -

5 -

5 -

Groups

10

12

12

9

13

2. A check-list designed to characterize the nature of

reporting the contents of these magazines and to

identify the extent of emphasis placed in the

content of each magazine was divided into the same

analysis areas with revisions used by Mable Lumpkin

in her analysis. These analysis areas are: fiction,

non-fiction, verse, activities, and special features.

3. A compilation of provisions of reading growth and

development was extracted from the literature

written by reputable authorities on the education

of children and each magazine was subjected to this

as criteria for determining the magazines' provisions

for reading growth and development.

The criteria for the selection of the children's magazines in

cluded in this study were based on criteria set up by Laura K.

•'•Mable C. Lumpkin, "An Analysis of the Content of a SelectedNumber of Children's Magazines" (Unpublished Master's thesis, School

of Library Service, Atlanta University, 1955), p. 101.

Martin and are as follows:

1. Format. A children's magazine should have a page

large enough to accommodate an attractively in

troduced department and ample picture space. It

should be relatively durable, with print that is

easily read and has good spacing.

2. Appearance. The pictures should have an artistic

appeal, a realism and intimacy which is related

directly to the text and should be attractive so

that it tempts the reader.

3. Organization. The cover of the magazine should be

attractive to both the juvenile and older readers

if materials for both of the ages is presented in

the magazine. There should be a clear division of

age appeal so that the youngest reader is not confused

in searching for his section.

4- Activities. The things-to-do departments should be

interesting to the reader for they are intended,

with clear directions and suggested materials that

are inexpensive. There should be activities for

groups as well as for individuals.

5. Literary content. Each magazine should contain some

stories which are short and easily read for the

encouragement of worthwhile reading. Poetry should be

musical and imaginative so as to create a love of

language. Humor should be comprehensible and should

not always involve a child. Work done by superior

writers should sometimes be included.

Limitations of the study.--The limitations of this study and

factors which influenced the selection of magazines used were:

1. The availability of selected magazines for children,

namely: Child Life Magazine, Children's Digest,

Highlights for Children, Jack and Jill and Wee

Wisdom.

2. The regular choice of elementary school readers.

iLaura K. Martin, Magazines for School Libraries (New York:

H. W. Wilson, 1950), pp. 34-35.

9

Locale of the study.--The study was conducted during the second

semester of the 1966-1967 academic year at Atlanta University. The

literature was surveyed at the Trevor Arnett Library and the School

of Library Service Library, Atlanta University. The accumulation,

analysis, and treatment of data for the selected children's magazines

took place in the home of the researcher, Atlanta, Georgia.

Procedural steps.--The procedural steps used by the researcher

follow:

1. Surveyed literature pertinent to the study.

2. Selected the magazines which were reviewed and

analyzed.

3. Compiled a list of criteria of provisions for

reading growth and development.

4. Analyzed and recorded information from the

contents of the selected magazines.

5. Assembled data into appropriate tables as a

basis for the analysis and interpretation of

the data.

6. Derived from the data, findings, conclusions,

implications, and recommendations pertinent to

this study.

Survey of related literature.--To survey literature pertinent to

this study, the writer felt it necessary to investigate research

studies related to content analysis, children's magazines and their

contents. Several studies showed that content analyses play important

roles when used to describe trends in communication content. The

classification into a single set of categories of similar samples of

communicative content taken at different times provides a concise

description of content trends, in terms of relative frequencies of

10

occurrences. Such descriptions of trends are often useful in

themselves; in addition, they provide data which can be correlated

with corresponding changes on the part of the communicator or the

audience.

Many researchers have found it necessary to investigate and

analyze the contents of books, articles, newspapers, and periodicals.

Berelson states that content analysis is:

Often done to reveal the purpose, motives, and

other characteristics of the communications as they

(presumably) 'reflected' in the content: or to

identify the (presumable) effects of the content

upon the attention, attitudes or acts of readers

or listeners.2

Content analysis has been used in various ways

and for various purposes among them are the

following; describing trends in communication

content. . ., comparing media or levels of

communication content against objectives. . . .3

Mayrene B. Bates in her thesis found it necessary to analyze

articles in periodicals on Negro Librarianship to determine the

subjects on which articles were written, frequency with which the

articles appeared, the types of periodicals in which the articles

appeared and most important, the subject matter treated in the

articles.4 As Bates analyzed articles, C. D, Wilkerson investigated

1Bernard Berelson, Content Analysis Communication Research

(Glencoe: The Free Press, 1952), p. 29.

2Ibid., pp. 18-19.

^Charles Beard, An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution

of the United States (New York: Macmillan, 1948), pp. 294-295.

^Mayrene Beasley Bates, "An Analysis of Periodicals, Articleson Negro Librarianship" (Unpublished Master's thesis, School of Library

Service, Atlanta University, 1958), p. 2.

11

books to document the various steps in the rise of the A. M. E.

Sunday School Union as the vital organism for the enrichment of the

Christian Education Program.^ Both these analysis have different

purposes but both describe trends in communication content for

educational value and information.

Content analysis has been defined as a research technique for

the objective, systematic, and quantitative description of the

palpable content of communication.2 Definitions of content analysis

tend to emphasize the procedure of analysis rather than the character

of the data available in recorded communication.*

Content analysis is of considerable value to

education both in the derivation and revision of

the curriculum and in the understanding of some

of the complex variables encountered in the

field.4

One researcher, J. B. Boyce, after surveying religious periodicals

found in the libraries of the Atlanta University Center, revealed that

"periodicals were kept for the purpose of research." If periodicals

•^Clayton D. Wilkerson, "The Development of the Division ofChristian Education in the African Methodist Episcopal Church" (Unpublished Master's thesis, School of Religion, Interdenominational

Theological Seminary, 1965).

2Berelson, loc. cit., pp. 18-19.

%arie Jahoda, et al., Research Methods in Social Relations (New

York: Dryden, 1951), Vol. 1, p. 236.

4George J. Mouly, The Science of Educational Research (New York:

American Book Company, 1963), p. 282.

5Joseph Boyce, "A Survey of Periodicals Holdings in the Atlanta

University Center in the Field of Religion 1964" (Unpublished Master'sthesis, School of Education, Atlanta University, 1964), p. 1.

12

are so important and can be used as higher learning reference tools

and selecting guides, why not put more educational value on the

contents of children's magazines.

C. Johnson offered that twelve authors of articles tend to

believe that the use of periodicals encourage reading among students.

The writer felt that there is a possibility that young magazine readers

will recognize that what they read should be meaningful and socially

significant to them so that they will understand and appreciate the

value of what they read.

Efforts are being made to develop methods of adjusting the

curriculum and methods of instruction to individual differences in

the ability, needs, and interests of the students.2 Librarians,

teachers and parents interested in children's reading habits are

providing ways to create a love of reading.3

A child likes to emulate adults by reading magazines; a regularly

received magazine of his own. . . is a satisfying experience for a

child and may challenge and fulfill an ever-increasing interest in

reading^ which will build his reading power.

Research tells us that the best readers tend

to be children whose homes are well supplied

with books, magazines, and other reading matter,

1Clevester Johnson, "An Analysis of Periodical Articles Dealingwith Paperbounds in the School Library and Indexed in Library Litera

ture, 1959-1963" (Unpublished Master's thesis, School of Library

Service, Atlanta University, 1965), p. 20.

2P. Mort and W. Vincent, Modern Educational Theories (New York:

McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1952), p. 60.

3Nancy Nunnally, loc. cit., p. 517.

I., p. 518.

13

and in whose homes there is incentive toward

learning.1

The basic goal in educating all children must be to do all that

can be done to help each child achieve to his fullest potentials.

Children's magazines provide for the needs of each child as his right

to be dealt with as a unique individual, and to make every effort to

foster the necessary adjustments to effectively meet these needs in

the home, the classroom, or the library.

George Spache described five distinct aspects of reading:

1. Reading is skill development.

2. Reading is a visual act.

3. Reading is a perceptual act.

4. Reading is based on cultural background.

5. Reading is a thinking process.2

Children should begin to become less dependent on the teacher in

reading for a variety of purposes, in locating needed information, in

working with many types of reading, and in identifying unfamiliar

words. McKim also feels that opportunities should be provided to:

(1) extend the ways in which children use their reading ability;

(2) begin to adjust their method of reading to the end for which they

read; (3) begin to locate resource materials independently; (4) handle

increasingly complex materials; and (5) develop skills in working with

unfamiliar words.^

■'•William R. Powell, "Classroom Libraries: Their Frequency ofUse," Elementary English. XLIII (April, 1966), p. 365.

^George D. Spache, Reading in the Elementary School (Boston:

Allyn Bacon, Inc., 1964), pp. 4-26.

%argaret McKim, Guiding Growth in Reading in the ModernElementary School (New York: The Macmillan Co., 1955), p. 154.

14

Modern education demands that children carry on study and

research as they progress in school and utilize a variety of

different types of literature. Reading must be a satisfying

experience if children are to reach out for the new and different

reading materials which will widen their cultural horizons.* The

reading and discussion of these materials will also contribute to

the character development both social and moral of the pupils2 for

children today have interest beyond the prescribed curriculum.3

Magazines made their advent into the child's world of

literature in the eighteenth century. The first magazine for

children in the United States appeared in Hartford, Connecticut in

1789 as the Children's Magazine.^ In the one hundred and seventy-

seven years or more children's magazines have been in existence,

there have been many changes in the types of subjects treated for the

magazines and the format of the magazines. Authorities say that

during the twentieth century, the number of magazines of this type has

increased rapidly, so that there are now more than fifty children's-

magazines published regularly in the United States.

1Ibid., p. 395.

2George D. Spache, "Interesting Books for the Reading Teacher,"The Reading Teacher. XIX (April, 1966), p. 541.

3Nunnally, loc. cit., p. 518.

^Frank Luther Mott, A History of American Magazines. 1741-1850(Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1938), p. 29.

%. W. Ayer and Sons, Directory of Newspapers and Periodicals(Philadelphia: N. W. Ayer and Sons, Inc., 1954).

15

Roswell Smith projected the magazine Saint Nicholas in which she

said the ideal child's magazine is a pleasure ground. The editor of

this same magazine, Mary Mapes Dodge, wrote the following editorial

policy:

To give clean, genuine fun to children of all

ages.

To give them examples of the finest types of boy

hood and girlhood.

To inspire them with a fine appreciation of

pictorial art.

To cultivate the imagination in profitable

directions.

To foster a love of country, home, nature,

truth, beauty, sincerity.

To prepare boys and girls for life as it is.

To stimulate their ambitions - but along

normally progressive lines.

To keep pace with a fast-moving world in all

its activities.

To give reading matter which every parent may

pass on to his children unhesitatingly.

Children magazines today seem to provide these same policies.

Many more needs require different enrichments.

Today's problem of meeting individual needs

and providing for individual differences in own

mass education system is extremely difficult to

resolve.

Cornelia Meigs, A Critical History of Children's Literature

(New York: Macmillan, 1953), p. 280.

2Ibid., p. 280.

16

Although educators may agree on the need to

effect changes in this direction, we sorely need

to work out some. . . practices which will

develop and support individuality.1

Children's magazines may be said to provide for individuality:

whether a child reads at an early age is not important as whether he

has opportunities to develop and consolidate functions which stimulate

thinking.2 This study being analyzed as to fiction, non-fiction,

verse, activities, and special features provided information as to

what each had to offer.

Fiction serves happily as a supplement, rather

than a substitute to formal social studies. . . .

Fiction has the unique ability to transmit emotions

and feelings and to build a rapport that is

ordinarily lacking in non-fiction.3

The people, involved in fiction, live in a different manner and can be

accepted without the need of explanation or didactic comparison.

Children can be caught up in the action and experience as a genuine

way of life.^1

Children can gain good and accurate initial concepts from

fiction. If children can identify with children of other lands and

with their problems, gives new dimensions to the children's under

standing. It is hoped that studies of this nature can provide a

better basis for evaluation of old material and for selection of new

iBernice J. Wolfson, "Individualizing Instructor," N.E.A. Journal,LV (November, 1966), 33.

2George W. Denemark, "The Teacher and His Staff," N.E.A. Journal,LV (December, 1966), 16.

%iriam Burris, "Japan in Children's Fiction," Elementary English,

XXXXIII (January, 1966), p. 29.

17

materials which will create a proper and meaningful understanding of

other people for our children.

E. Black made a study to determine the extent to which the

frequent reading of science fiction resulted in a measureable increase

in reading abilities. "Science fiction is not mere comic strip

stuff, but the hard core of science. There was a considerable

increase in the reasoning abilities of students who read science

fiction. Fiction must be considered unique in the whole field of

contemporary literature.^

Non-fictional materials contain factual information; non-fiction

is the actuality of an event, occurrence, quality or relation which

involves experience activities. The subjects are mainly used for

academic purposes to develop the child's knowledge and abilities to

the fullest. Just as science is more than the objects about us, it

deals with materials and the effect of knowledge and ways by which we

use them. Since our knowledge of the world, generally, has been

recorded in written form for purposes of communication. First-hand

experiences cannot be attained through reading; but reading provides

vicarious experiences.

llbid., p. 31.

2Eldred Black, "A Study of Science Reasoning Abilities of ScienceFiction Readers," (Unpublished Master's thesis, School of Education,

Atlanta University, 1959).

3Thomas P. Donnell, "The Cult of Science Fiction," CatholicWorld, CLXXVIII (October, 1953), p. 15.

4Ibid.. p. 22.

18

All the arts express the moods of man's inner life, but litera

ture combines esthetic beauty with interpretation of human

experience.

The story of children's literature would be

incomplete without the mention of magazines for

children. Yet the history of these periodicals

would make a long chapter in itself. The

discussion is in place here only because the maga

zines contributed greatly to children's literature

by encouraging writers for young people, in

furnishing them a means of getting their work

before the public.

The idea that art is an academic possession of

the mind only was in conceivable to him. For

Lismer 'True education is one of growth' by which

he meant organic growth. The most vital part of

education is encouragement toward further

individuality and, closely related to this, a

realization of the effectiveness of art as a

nourishment for emotional, spiritual, and esthetic

development. . . .

Lismer considers education a 'creative force' in

which art is indispensable to progress. We shall

see art not as a professional skill or a subject in

a curriculum, but as a means to a richer way of life.'^

Magazines can provide incentive for a child to explore his own

skills. Verse-writing stimulates interest; a chance for a child to see

other children's creative efforts 'in print1 will encourage the more

reluctant poets to try harder. One class even made a project of hand

written poem booklet. Magazines are wonderful incentives for

%alter Loban, "Balancing the Literature Program," ElementaryEnglish. XLIII (November, 1966), p. 747.

2Edna Johnson, Evelyn R. Sickels, and Frances Clarke Sayers,Anthology of Children's Literature (Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Company,

1959), p. 1104.

%. Gilda Hinterreiter, "Authur Lismer/Artist and Art-Education:A Reflection on His Life, Work and Philosophy," School Arts, LXVI

(January, 1967), p. 23.

19

children; the appeal of poems and stories are used as supplementary

reading assignments.*

Games are always fun whether indoors or outdoors. Many maga

zines contain word games such as rewording proverbs, cross-word

puzzles on different subjects, homonym spell-down. The popularity of

games grow rapidly and quite unconsciously, new language skills are

gained and developed.

The job of teaching children different materials to read in

different ways for different purposes can be solved by encouraging

the reading of magazines.^ From studies of periodical reading investi

gators justified that of the thousands of magazines published, children

and adults are uninformed as to which magazines can serve them best.

Following school days, periodicals provide the most important means

of lifetime education for American citizens. Classroom instruction can

improve taste and promote independent judgment through magazines.4

It is hoped that teachers, librarians, parents and other

interested educators find this study useful to interest the reluctant

reader as well as provide additional reading sources for the

l"Pep Up Their Verse-writing with a Poetry Booklet," Grade

Teacher. LXXXIII (November, 1965), p. 144.

2Jeanne Tellier Leeson, "Word Games Take the Dullness Out of

Vocabulary Drill," Grade Teacher. LXXXIV (January, 1967), p. 16.

3Dolores Durkin, "What Other Magazines Say About Reading," The

Reading Teacher, XIX (April, 1966), p. 547.

^Thomas D. Horn and Others, "Challenge of Periodicals in Educa

tion," Elementary English. XLIII (April, 1966), p. 408.

voracious reader.

20

1

As a matter of fact, those acquainted with

scientific investigations in the field recog

nize that reading is an integral part of total

child growth. Dozens of investigations indicate

that reading maturation accompanies physical

growth, mental growth, emotional and social

maturity, experiential background and language

development.2

The writer wishes to encourage the reading of magazines to develop

skills and above all the enjoyment of reading.

■"■Thomas D. Horn, and Others, "Periodicals for Children andYouth," Elementary English. XLIII (April, 1966), p. 341.

2Nila Banton Smith, "Early Reading: Viewpoints," ChildhoodEducation. XLII (December, 1965), p. 230.

CHAPTER II

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

OF THE DATA

Introductory statement.--The presentation and analysis of the

data on the content analysis of five children's magazines, with spe

cific emphasis upon the content which the literature has established

as essential for reading growth and development of children, have

been organized around the basic analysis areas of the check-list which

was designed to provide data for the fulfillment of the purpose of

this study. The data are presented in five analysis areas which in

clude the percentages of the content of each analysis area in each

magazine and the provisions in each magazine for reading growth and

development inherent in each analysis area.

The presentation, analysis and interpretation of the data have

been organized under the following five major analysis areas:

1. Fictional content of the magazines:

a. Adventure g. Citizenship

b. Recreation h. World relationships

c. Mystery i. Nature and animals

d. Family life j. Science

e. Growing-up k. Children

2. Non-fictional content of the magazines:

a. Manner and conduct e. Science

b. Health and safety f. Holidays

c. Nature g. Art appreciation

21

22

h. Music 1. Geography

i. Clubs m. Biography

j. Sports n. Literature

k. History

3. Verse content of the magazines:

a. By children

b. About children

c. About animals

d. About nature

4. Activity content of the magazines:

a. Hobbies

b. Things-to-do

c. Jokes

d. Riddles

e. Picture word stories

f. Cut-outs

g. Games

5. Special features of the magazines:

a. Comics

b. Letters to the editor

c. Reviews

d. Editorials

The analysis was designed to identify and quantify the provisions

for reading growth and development inherent in each analysis area as

characterized below.

1. Criterion of vocabulary growth

2. Criterion of personal enrichment

3. Criterion of supplementary information

4. Criterion of individual differences

5. Criterion of reading for different purposes

6. Criterion of entertainment

7. Criterion of thinking skills

8. Criterion of comprehension

Age

6 -

5 -

4 -

5 -

5 -

groups

10

12

12

9

13

23

The magazines used in the development of this analytical study

are the 1966 issues of five children's magazines from January to

December and are listed below. The five children's magazines are:

Titles

1. Child Life

2. Children's Digest

3. Highlights for Children

4. Jack and Jill

5. Wee Wisdom

The presentation of the data is presented first, with reference

to the analysis areas and second, with reference to the eight pro

visions for reading growth and development which inhere in the

respective analysis areas. The data were treated with reference to the

frequency and percentage of the data-items and data-categories indicated

on the check-list and portrayed in the tables which accompany the

interpretation of the data.

Fictional Content of the Five Magazines

The data on the types of fictional stories found in the five

selected magazines for children are presented in Tables 1 and 2, which

indicate the percentage of fictional content for each magazine and the

types and percentage of fictional materials, respectively.

Percentage of fictional content by magazines.—Table 1 shows

the percentage of fictional material presented in the five magazines

ranged from sixty-four or 10.24 per cent occurrences in Child's Life

to one hundred seventy-three or 27.68 per cent occurrences in

24

TABLE 1

ANALYSIS OF THE FICTIONAL CONTENT OF THE

FIVE CHILDREN'S MAGAZINES ON THE BASIS

OF PERCENTAGE RATING

Magazines

Child Life

Children's Digest

Highlights for Children

Jack and Jill

Wee Wisdom

Total

Jack and Jill. The percentage

Frequency of

Occurrence of

Features

64

90

159

173

139

625

of occurrences of

Percentage

of Total

10.24

14.40

25.44

27.68

22.24

100.00

fiction in the other

magazines ranked 25.44 per cent in Highlights for Children, 22.24 per

cent in Wee Wisdom and 14.40 per cent in Children's Digest. Jack and

Jill and Highlights for Children were the two magazines which gave more

place to stories of fiction among the five selected magazines.

Types of fiction in the magazines.—The data on the types and

percentages of fictional features found in the five selected magazines

are presented in Table 2, respectively. The types of fictional

features in the magazines were found to be as indicated below.

Child Life-the types of fiction in Child Life ranged from two

or 3.12 per cent each for family life and growing-up to nineteen or

29.54 per cent for adventure. The other types of fiction ranked 23.40

per cent for mystery, 21.84 per cent for nature and animals, 12.48 per

cent for science, and 6.24 per cent for recreation. Features dealing

TABLE 2

ANALYSIS OF THE TYPE AND PERCENTAGE OF FICTIONAL CONTENT

FOR THE FIVE CHILDREN'S MAGAZINES

Fiction Type

Adventure

Recreation

Mystery

Family life

Growing-Up

Citizenship

World Relationships

Nature/Animals

Science

Children: by

about

Other

Total

Child

Num

ber

19

4

15

2

2

14

8

64

Life

Per

Cent

29.

6.

23.

3.

3.

21.

12.

99.

54

24

40

12

12

84

48

74

Children's

Digest

Num- Per

ber Cent

23

14

8

5

12

28

90

25.

15.

8.

5.

13.

31.

99.

53

54

88

55

32

08

90

Highlights

Num- Per

ber Cent

19

13

8

4

13

7

17

12

46

20

159

11.94

8.17

5.03

2.51

8.17

4.40

10.69

7.54

28.93

12.57

99.95

Jack

Jill

Num

ber

36

14

23

14

1

4

29

4

48

173

and

Per

Cent

20.80

8.09

13.29

8.09

.57

2.31

16.76

2.31

27.74

99.96

Wee Wisdon

Num- Per

ber Cent

24

16

14

9

6

9

17

12

32

139

17.26

11.51

10.07

6.47

4.31

6.47

12.23

8.63

23.02

99.87

Totals

Num- Per

ber Cent

121

61

60

38

13

26

7

77

36

94

32

60

625

19.36

9.76

9.69

6.08

2.08

4.16

1.12

12.32

5.76

15.04

5.12

9.60

100.08

S3

26

with citizenship, world relationship, and children were not found in

Child Life Magazine. The data indicate that features about adventure,

mystery, nature and animals received the greatest emphasis and

largest coverage among the ten designated fictional type features in

Child Life.

Children's Dieest-The fictional content as to the types of

materials in Children's Digest ranged from five or 5.55 per cent for

family life to twenty-eight or 31.08 per cent for others, which were

story adaptations. Other fictional type materials presented were

25.53 per cent for adventure, 15.54 per cent for recreation, 8.88 per

cent mysteries, and 13.32 per cent science fiction. Stories pertaining

to growing-up, citizenship, world relationships and nature were not

included in Children's Digest. Table 2 reveals that adventure stories

and adapted stories appeared more frequently of the fictional content

of this magazine.

Highlights for Children-The magazine, Highlights for Children,

contained fictional features ranging from four or 2.51 per cent for

articles on growing-up to forty-six or 28.93 per cent articles on

stories written by children. The data indicate other fiction-type

materials were 12.57 per cent for stories about children, 11.94 per

cent for adventure, 10.69 per cent for nature and animals, 8.17 per

cent for recreation and citizenship, 7.54 per cent for science, 5.03

per cent for family life and 4.40 per cent for world relationships.

There were no fictional articles for mystery stories.

27

Jack and Jill-The magazine Jack and Jill, presented data which

ranged from one or .57 per cent for growing-up to forty-eight or

27.74 per cent for stories written by children. The other types of

fiction ranked 20.80 per cent for adventure, 16.76 per cent for nature

and animals, 13.29 per cent for mystery, 8.09 per cent each for re

creation and family life, and 2.31 per cent each for citizenship and

science. Features for world relationships were not found in Jack and

Jill. The data indicate that features about adventure, stories

written by children, nature and animals, and mystery received the

largest coverage among the designated fiction type features in this

magazine.

Wee Wisdom-The magazine, Wee Wisdom, included fictional articles

which ranged from six or 4.31 per cent for growing-up to thirty-two

or 23.02 per cent for other, which were religious or character

building stories. Other fictional type features ranked 17.26 per

cent for adventure, 12.23 per cent for nature, 11.51 per cent for

recreation, 10.07 per cent for mystery, 8.63 per cent for children

stories, and 6.47 per cent each for family life and citizenship. There

were no fictional features dealing with world relationships, science,

or stories written by children.

Provisions for reading growth and development.--The data on the

provisions for reading growth and development as found in the fictional

contents of these five children's magazines provide for entertainment

through stories of adventure, recreation, and mystery; and supplement

the subject content area of social studies through stories on citizen

ship and world relationships; and of science through articles on

28

nature and science. For the criterion of providing for entertainment,

Jack and Jill provided more stories for adventure, recreation and

mystery than the other selected magazines; for supplemental information

in the content subject area of social studies, Highlights for Children

ranked highest in citizenship and world relationship; Child Life and

Children's Digest ranked low in the treatment of provisions for

reading growth and development; and Jack and Jill, Highlights for

Children and Wee Wisdom presented the highest quantitative and

variational types of fictional literature providing individual dif

ferences in interests and building lifetime reading habits. Highlights

for Children contained the widest range of fictional type material

which contributed to each of the provisions for reading growth and

development.

Non-Fictional Content of the Five Magazines

The data on the types of non-fiction articles found in the five

selected children's magazines are presented in Tables 3 and 4 which

indicate the percentage of non-fictional content for each magazine

and the type and percentage of non-fictional materials, respectively.

Percentage of non-fictional content by magazines.—Table 3

presents the data on the percentage of all types of non-fictional

materials in the five magazines which ranged from sixty-six or 9.95

per cent occurrences in Children's Digest up to two hundred six or

31.0 per cent occurrences in Jack and Jill. The percentages of

occurrences of all types of non-fiction in the other magazines were

29.86 per cent in Highlights for Children. 15.83 per cent in Child

Life and 13.27 per cent in Wee Wisdom. Highlights for Children and

29

TABLE 3

ANALYSIS OF THE NON-FICTIONAL CONTENT OF THE

FIVE CHILDREN'S MAGAZINES ON THE BASIS OF

PERCENTAGE RATING

Magazines

Child Life

Children's Digest

Highlights for Children

Jack and Jill

Wee Wisdom

Total

Jack and Jill gave more place

Frequency of

Occurrence of

Features

105

66

198

206

88

663

to non-fictional

Percentage

of Total

15.83

9.95

29.86

31.07

13.27

99.98

features among the five

selected magazines.

Types of non-fiction in the magazines.—The data on the types

of non-fiction features as found in the five selected magazines are

presented in Table 4. The types of non-fictional materials in the

respective magazines were found as indicated below.

Child Life-The types of non-fiction in Child Life ranged from

two or 1.90 per cent for birthday clubs to fifty-four or 51.42 per

cent for art appreciation. The per cent for other types of non-fiction

occurring were 15.23 per cent for science, 9.25 per cent for holidays,

6.66 per cent for manner and conduct, 4.76 per cent for history,

3.80 per cent each for health and safety and music, and 2.85 per cent

TABLE 4

ANALYSIS OF THE TYPE AND PERCENTAGE OF NON-FICTIONAL CONTENT FOR THE

FIVE CHILDREN'S MAGAZINES

Non-Fiction Type

Manner & Conduct

Health & Safety

Nature

Science

Holidays

Art Appreciation

Music

Clubs

Sports

History

Geography

Biography

Literature

Other

Total

Child

Num

ber

7

4

16

10

54

4

2

3

5

105

Life

Per

Cent

6.66

3.80

15.23

9.52

51.42

3.80

1.90

2.85

4.76

99.94

Children's

Digest

Num- Per

ber Cent

5

17

10

4

4

26

66

7.57

25.75

15.15

6.06

6.06

39.39

99.98

Highlights

Num- Per

ber Cent

16

12

10

28

18

22

10

3

13

8

12

5

41

198

8.08

6.06

5.05

14.14

9.09

11.11

5.05

1.51

6.56

4.04

6.06

2.52

20.70

99.97

Jack

Jill

Num

ber

12

14

23

19

72

18

16

12

8

12

206

and

Per

Cent

5.82

6.79

11.16

9.22

34.95

8.73

7.76

5.82

3.88

5.82

99.95

Wee Wisdom

Num- Per

ber Cent

26

6

8

12

12

2

4

6

12

88

29.54

6.81

9.09

13.63

13.63

2.27

4.54

6.81

13.63

99.95

Total

Num

ber

49

28

35

84

55

160

44

4

6

48

24

24

49

53

663

Per

Cent

7.39

4.22

5.27

12.66

8.29

24.13

6.63

.60

.90

7.23

3.61

3.61

7.39

7.99

100.02

31

for sports. Table 4 shows that there were no non-fictional type

materials on nature, geography, biography, or literature. Greatest

emphasis was placed on art appreciation, which was manifested in

pictures drawn by children.

Children's Digest-Non-fictional type items ranged from four or

6.06 per cent of geography and biography to twenty-six or 39.39 per

cent for literature. Other types of non-fiction ranked as follows:

Science, 25.75 per cent; history, 15.15 per cent; and nature 7.57

per cent occurrences. This magazine did not include in its content

non-fiction type materials for manners and conduct, health and safety,

holidays, art music, clubs, and sports. Table 4 indicates that

Children's Digest contained the largest coverage of non-fictional

articles in literature which included myths and legends, classics,

fairy tales, and folk tales.

Highlights for Children-The non-fiction materials in this

magazine were distributed from three or 1.51 per cent for sports to

forty-one or 20.70 per cent for others which included phonics, foreign

languages, mathematics and religion. Other non-fictional type items

for Highlights are 14.14 per cent for science, 11.11 per cent for

art pictures, 9.09 per cent for holidays, 8.08 per cent for manner and

conduct, 6.56 per cent for history, 6.06 per cent each for health and

safety, and biography, 5.05 per cent each for nature and music, 4.04

per cent for geography, and 2.52 per cent for literature. There were

no features concerning clubs found in this magazine.

Jack and Jill-Non-fictional content in Jack and Jill ranged from

eight or 3.88 per cent for biography up to seventy-two or 34.95 per

32

cent for art pictures drawn by children. Other non-fictional features

were 11.16 per cent for science, 9.22 per cent for holidays, 8.73

per cent for music, 7.76 per cent for history, 6.79 per cent for

nature, 5.82 per cent for each, health and safety, geography and

literature which were fairy tales. Features dealing with manners

not included in Jack and Jill. The greatest attention given to art

appreciation for young children.

Wee Wisdom-This magazine contained non-fictional materials

ranging from two or 2.27 per cent for clubs to twenty-six or 29.54

per cent for manners and conduct. The other types of non-fiction

rankings were 13.63 per cent each for art appreciation, music, and

other, 9.08 per cent for holidays, 6.81 per cent each for nature

and literature which were fairy tales, and 14.54 per cent for history.

This magazine did not include non-fiction items for health and

safety, science, sports, geography and biography. The data indicate

that features about manners and conduct received the greatest emphasis

and largest coverage among the thirteen designated non-fiction type

features in Wee Wisdom. This magazine placed equal emphasis and

coverage for art, music and others which were religious prayers and

Bible lessons.

Provisions for reading growth and development.—The data on the

provisions for reading growth and development as found in the non-

fictional contents of the five children's magazines provided information

for different reading purposes, such as entertainment through sports;

personal enrichment through literature (which includes myths and

legends, fairy tales, fables, classics and folk tales), art and music;

and supplemental information for content subject area study such as

33

social studies, science, health, vocabulary growth, mathematics and

languages. For the criterion of providing information for different

reading purposes only Child Life and Highlights magazines included non-

fictional articles of entertainment which dealt with sports; Table 4

shows that both magazines fostered equal percentage coverage for this

provision. Jack and Jill. Wee Wisdom, and Highlights provided material

for personal enrichment and supplemental information for content area

study through literature, whereby Children's Digest offered more

quantitative and variational selections of literature for personal

enrichment and supplemental information than the other selected

children's magazines. Jack and Jill. Child Life. Highlights, and Wee

Wisdom included articles and pictures which involved quality informa

tion and experiences for personal enrichment and supplemental informa

tion through art. Jack and Jill and Child Life magazines ranked

highest of the five magazines; Children's Digest did not provide any

non-fictional material for art appreciation. Jack and Jill. Wee

Wisdom. Highlights for Children and Child Life provided non-fictional

information for music which included materials about instruments and

composers for supplemental information; while Child Life ranked low in

this area, Children's Digest did not foster any reading matter for the

understanding or appreciation of music. For the criterion of providing

supplemental information for the social studies content area, all

five magazines comprised factual materials for history and current

events; Jack and Jill. Highlights for Children and Children's Digest

contained factual readings for geography and biography to supplement

34

data for social studies and science. Highlights. Jack and Jill,

Children's Digest and Child Life magazines treated scientific readings

which provided vicarious experiences to supplement information dealt

with in the content area of science; Wee Wisdom did not include material

pertaining to science. Nature study or natural science facts were

presented in Jack and Jill. Highlights for Children. Wee Wisdom, and

Children's Digest but were not presented in Child Life. For the

criterion of providing information for the subject content area of

health, two magazines: Highlights for Children and Jack and Jill gave

equal emphasis to health and safety; Child Life gave less emphasis than

the other selected magazines; Children's Digest and Wee Wisdom gave no

evidence of supplemental information on health in the subject content

area. Provisions for reading growth and development as to the supple

mental information for vocabulary growth, mathematics and foreign

languages are inclusively presented in only one of the five magazines,

Highlights for Children. In this magazine vocabulary growth is induced

through phonetic analysis of letters and their sounds which is also the

development of word recognition skills, opportunities for mental

mathematical operations are provided through various reading, numerical,

and object problem solving activities, and foreign languages are

presented with English translations.

Verse Content of the Five Magazines

The data on the types of verse content found in the five selected

children's magazines are presented in Tables 5 and 6 which indicate the

percentage of verse content for each magazine and the type and per

centage of verse materials, respectively.

35

TABLE 5

ANALYSIS OF THE VERSE CONTENT OF THE FIVE CHILDREN'S

MAGAZINES ON THE BASIS OF PERCENTAGE RATING

Magazines

Child Life

Children's Digest

Highlights for Children

Jack and Jill

Wee Wisdom

Total

Percentage of verse

Frequency of

Occurrence of

Features

46

11

89

143

157

446

content by magazines.

Percentage

of Total

10.31

2.46

19.95

32.06

35.20

99.98

--Table 5 presents the

percentages of verse material in the five magazines which was found to

range from eleven or 2.46 per cent occurrence in Children's Digest to

one hundred fifty-seven or 35.20 per cent occurrences in Wee Wisdom.

The per cent of occurrence of verse in the other magazines ranked 32.06

per cent in Jack and Jill, 19.9 per cent in Highlights for Children,

and 10.3 per cent in Child Life. Of the selected magazines, Wee Wisdom

and Jack and Jill gave more coverage to verses.

Types of verses in the magazines.—The data on the types of verse

content which were found in the five selected magazines are presented

in Table 6. The types of verses in the respective magazines were found

to be as indicated below.

TABLE 6

ANALYSIS OF THE TYPE AND PERCENTAGE OF VERSE CONTENT FOR THE FIVECHILDREN'S MAGAZINES

Verse Type

By children

About children

About animals

About nature

Other

Total

Child

Num

ber

31

15

46

Life

Per

Cent

67.39

32.60

99.99

Children's

Digest

Num- Per

ber Cent

11 1.00

11 100.00

Highlights

Num- Per

ber Cent

71

5

6

2

5

89

79.77

5.61

6.53

2.24

5.61

99.76

Jack

Jill

Num

ber

70

24

9

6

34

143

and

Per

Cent

48.95

16.78

6.29

4.19

23.77

99.98

======

Wee Wisdom

Num- Per

ber Cent:

121

36

157

77.07

22.92

99.99

=====

Total

Num

ber

293

29

15

8

101

446

=====

Per

Cent

65.69

6.50

3.36

1.79

22.64

99.98

OS

37

Child Life Magazine-The types of verse content in Child Life

Magazine ranged from fifteen or 32.60 per cent for other which are

limerick verses and thirty-one or 67.39 per cent for verses written by

children. There were no poems written specifically about children,

animals or nature. Greatest emphasis was placed on verses written by

children.

Children's Digest-The types of verses in Children's Digest were

eleven or 100.00 per cent of poems categoried under other which were

humorous and seasonal verses.

Highlights for Children-The types of verses in Highlights for

Children ranged from two or 2.24 per cent for poems about nature to

seventy-one or 79.77 per cent for poems by children. The other types

of verses occurred were 6.53 per cent for verses about animals and 5.61

per cent each for verses about children and other which were poems about

toys, holidays, home and cleanliness. Table 6 indicates that Highlights

for Children placed greater emphasis on poems written by children than

any of the other five verse types.

Jack and Jill-The verse type content of Jack and Jill ranged from

six or 4.19 per cent for verse about nature to seventy or 48.95 per

cent for verse by children. Other types of verses were 23.77 per cent

for other which are verses about school, holidays and seasons, 16.78

per cent for poems about children, and 6.29 per cent for poems about

animals. Jack and Jill placed more emphasis on verses written by

children.

Wee Wisdom-Wee Wisdom contained two types of verse ranging from

thirty-six or 22.92 per cent for other which were religious poems to

38

one hundred twenty-one or 77.07 per cent for poems written by children.

The data indicate that poems written by children received the greatest

emphasis among the five designated verse type areas; and Wee Wisdom

contained the largest coverage of poems written by children and of the

verse type features.

Provisions for reading growth and development.—The data on the

provisions for reading growth and development as in the verse content

in each of the five children's magazines provided information for vocab

ulary growth, personal enrichment, and individual differences through

limericks which are light or humorous verse forms with specific line

rhyme schemes in Child Life; though poems about seasons, holidays, toys,

home, school, nature, animals, and children in Highlights for Children

and Jack and Jill; and humorous verses in Children's Digest. Highlights

and Jack and Jill provided more verse content for the criteria of

reading growth and development.

Activity Content of the Five Magazines

The data on the types of activities found in the five selected

children's magazines are presented in Tables 8 and 9 which indicate

the percentages of activity content for each magazine and the types of

activity content, respectively.

Percentage of activity content by magazines.--Table 7 presents

the percentage of activities in the five magazines which was found to

range from one hundred twenty-four or 9.78 per cent for Wee Wisdom to

two hundred ninety-one or 22.96 per cent for Children's Digest. The

percentage of occurrence of activity content in the other magazines were

39

TABLE 7

ANALYSIS OF THE ACTIVITY CONTENT OF THE FIVE CHILDREN'S

MAGAZINES ON THE BASIS OF PERCENTAGE RATING

Magazines

Child Life

Children's Digest

Highlights for Children

Jack and Jill

Wee Wisdom

22.57 per cent for Jack and

Children and 22.25 per cent

Jack and Jill. Highlights.

Frequency of

Occurrence of

Features

282

291

284

286

124

Jill. 22.41 per cent for

Percentage

of Total

22.25

22.96

22.41

22.57

9.78

Highlights for

for Child Life. Children's Digest.

and Child Life magazines gave more place to

activities.

Types of activities in the magazines.—The data on the types of

activities as found in the five selected magazines are presented in

the five selected magazines are presented in Table 8. The types of

activities in the respective magazines were found to be as indicated

below.

Child Life-The types of activities in Child Life ranged from nine

or 3.19 per cent for picture word stories to eighty-eight or 31.20 per

cent for things-to-do. The other types of activities were 30.49 per

cent for riddles, 29.07 per cent for jokes and 6.02 per cent for toy

cut-outs. Table 8 indicates that there were no activities for hobbies

TABLE 8

ANALYSIS OF THE TYPE AND PERCENTAGE OF ACTIVITY CONTENT FOR THE FIVECHILDREN'S MAGAZINES

Activity Type

Hobbies

Things-to-do

Jokes

Riddles

Picture word stories

Cut-outs:

dolls

animals

toys

Games:

indoor

outdoor

both

Total

Child

Num

ber

88

82

86

9

17

282

Life

Per

Cent

31.20

29.07

30.49

3.19

6.02

99.97

Children's

Digest

Num- Per-

ber Cent

55

60

132

23

21

291

18.90

20.61

45.36

7.90

7.21

99.98

Highlights

Num- Per

ber Cent

66

120

41

36

3

3

4

7

4

284

23.23

42.25

14.43

12.67

1.05

1.05

1.40

2.46

1.40

99.94

Jack

Jill

Num

ber

1

187

5

15

47

31

286

and

Per

Cent

.34

65.38

1.74

5.24

16.43

10.83

99.96

Wee Wisdom

Num- Per

ber Cent

76

12

4

6

26

124

61.29

9.67

3.22

4.83

20.96

99.97

Total

Num- Per

ber Cent-

1

472

262

259

68

20

22

74

7

4

78

1267

.07

37.25

20.67

20.44

5.36

1.57

1.73

5.84

.55

.31

6.15

99.94

41

or games, and that emphasis were placed on things-to-do, jokes and

riddles.

Children's Digest-Table 8 shows that activities in Children's

Digest ranged from twenty-one or 7.21 per cent for games to one

hundred thirty-two or 45.36 per cent for riddles. Other activities

ranked 20.61 per cent for jokes, 18.90 per cent for things-to-do and

7.90 per cent for picture word stories. Children's Digest did not

include activities for hobbies and cut-outs. Table 8 indicates that

riddles were given greater emphasis in this magazine.

Highlights for Children-Table 8 indicates that data for the

types of activities in Highlights ranged from three or 1.05 per cent

each for paper dolls and animal cut-outs up to one hundred twenty or

42.25 per cent for jokes selected by children. The range of other types

of activities were 23.23 per cent for things-to-do, 14.43 per cent for

riddles, 12.67 per cent for picture word stories, 2.46 per cent for

indoor games, and 1.40 per cent each for paper toy-cut-outs and out

door games. Highlights for Children did not include hobbies. The data

indicate that jokes received the largest coverage of the designated

types of activities.

Jack and Jill-The data on the types and percentages of activities

found in Jack and Jill shows that the activities ranged from one or .34

per cent for hobbies to one hundred eighty-seven or 65.38 per cent for

things-to-do. The occurrences of other types of activities ranked

16.43 per cent for payer toy cut-outs, 10.83 per cent for games, 5.24

per cent for paper animal cut-outs and 1.74 per cent for paper doll

cut-outs. Jokes, riddles and picture word stories were not found in

42

Jack and Jill. Table 8 shows that things-to-do appeared more frequently

for the activity type content of this magazine.

Provisions for reading growth and development.--The data on the

provisions for reading growth and development as found in the five

respective magazines are characterized below.• The activity contents

of these five children's magazines provided for vocabulary growth

comprehension, entertainment, and thinking skills development through

hobbies, things-to-do by following directions as cooking, puzzles,

matching and locating pictures or objects, number coloring, making things,

and syllabication and rhyming; and thought provoking games as riddles,

word games, jokes and picture word stories. For the criterion of pro

viding these aspects of reading, each of the five magazines contributed

to the provisions for reading growth and development; Highlights for

Children presented more varied types of activities which provided for

vocabulary growth, comprehension, entertainment and thinking skill

development.

Special Feature Content of the Five Magazines

The data on the types of special features items found in the five

selected children's magazines are presented in Tables 9 and 10 which

indicate the percentages of special feature content for each magazine

and the types and percentages of special feature materials, respectively.

Percentage of special feature content by magazines.--Table 9

presents the percentage of special feature materials in the five maga

zines ranging from thirty-six or 7.48 per cent occurrences in Wee

Wisdom to two hundred twelve or 44.07 per cent occurrences in Jack and

Jill. The percentage of special features in the other magazines ranked

Frequency of

Occurrence of

Feature

102

95

56

212

36

Percentage

of Total

21.20

15.59

11.64

44.07

7.48

43

TABLE 9

ANALYSIS OF THE SPECIAL FEATURE CONTENT OF THE FIVE

CHILDREN'S MAGAZINES ON THE BASIS OF

PERCENTAGE RATING

Magazines

Child Life

Children's Digest

Highlights for Children

Jack and Jill

Wee Wisdom

Total 481 99.98

21.20 per cent for Child Life. 15.59 per cent for Children's Digest

and 11.64 per cent for Highlights for Children. Jack and Jill gave more

place to special features among the five selected magazines.

Types of special features in the magazines.--The data on the types

of special features as found in the five selected magazines are pre

sented in Table 10. The types of features in the respective magazines

were found as indicated below.

Child Life-The types of special features in Child Life ranged

from three or 2.94 per cent occurrences for movie reviews to fifty-four

or 52.94 per cent occurrences for letters to the editor. The other

types of features occurring were 37.25 per cent for other and 6.86

per cent for television reviews. Table 10 shows that comic features

were not found in Child Life.

TABLE 10

ANALYSIS OF THE TYPE AND PERCENTAGE OF SPECIAL FEATURE CONTENT FOR THEFIVE CHILDREN'S MAGAZINES

Special Features

Comics:

Entertainment

Literary

Historical

Letters to Editor

Editorials

Reviews:

Books

Records

Movies

Television

Other

Total

Child

Num

ber

54

10

3

7

38

102

Life

Per

Cent

52.94

17.85

2.94

6.86

37.25

99.99

Children's

Digest

Num- Per

ber Cent

17

9

37

12

75

22.66

12.00

49.33

16.00

99.74

Highlights

Num- Per

ber Cent

11

1

2

10

22

56

19.64

1.78

3.57

17.85

39.28

99.97

Jack

Jill

Num-

119

2

8

83

212

and

Per

Cent

56.13

.94

3.77

39.15

99.99

Wee Wisdom

Num- Per

ber Cent

12

24

36

33.33

66.66

99.99

Total

Num- Per

ber rvrif-

28

10

2

183

22

59

0

5

15

157

481

5

2

38

4

12

1

3

32,

99

.82

.07

.41

.04

.57

.26

.03

.11

.64

.9")

45

Children's Digest-Table 10 indicates that special features in

Children's Digest ranged from nine or 12.00 per cent for literay comics

to thirty-seven or 49.33 per cent for book reviews. The other types

of features ranked 16.00 per cent for other and 22.66 per cent for

comics for entertainment. Table 10 indicates that Children's Digest

did not contain letters to the editor and editorials. This magazine

placed greater emphasis on book reviews than the other types of special

feature content.

Highlights for Children-The special features in this magazine

ranged from one or 1.78 per cent for literay comics to twenty-two or

39.38 per cent for book reviews. The other special feature types for

Highlights are 19.64 per cent for entertaining comics, 17.85 per cent

each for letters to the editor and editorials, and 3.57 per cent for

historical comics. Of the various types of special features in High

lights for Children. Table 10 indicates that book reviews had the

greatest coverage.

Jack and Jill-The types of special features contained in this

magazine range from two or .94 per cent for movie review to one hundred

ninety-nine or 56.13 per cent for letters to the editor. Other types

of special features rank as follow: Eighty-three or 39.15 per cent

for other which were news notes from readers, advertisement and a

parent-teacher page, and eight or 3.77 per cent for television reviews.

Jack and Jill did not include comics or editorials of its special

feature content; this magazine gave more coverage to letters to the

editor.

46

Wee Wisdom-The percentage and type of special features found

in Wee Wisdom were twelve or 33.33 per cent for editorials and twenty-

four or 66.66 per cent for other which were "daily words with God."

Table 10 shows that this magazine did not contain features pertaining

to comics, letters to the editor, and reviews for books, records,

movies or television programs.

Provisions for reading growth and development.—The data on the

provisions for reading growth and development as found in the special

feature contents of these five selected children's magazines provided

for supplementary information, individual differences and entertain

ment through comics which contain literary, entertainment and historical

materials; reviews of books, records, movies and television programs;

letters to the editor and other which were news letters from readers,

pen pal letters and religious daily words. Highlights for Children

having a wider range of special features mainly provided for each of

the criteria for reading growth and development; and the other magazines

ranged as follows, respectively: Children's Digest, Jack and Jill,

Child Life and Wee Wisdom.

Interpretative Summaries

All of the quantitative measures to the analysis and interpreta

tion of the data presented throughout Chapter II are summarized in

Summary Table 11 and identified and characterized in separate paragraphs

which are subsumed under appropriate data-captions which follow

immediately below:

TABLE 11

DISTRIBUTION OF THE FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE OF THE TREATMENT OF THE RESPECTIVE

ANALYSIS AREAS: FICTION, NON-FICTION, VERSE, ACTIVITIES, AND SPECIAL

FEATURES IN THE CONTENTS OF THE FIVE SELECTED MAGAZINES

Magazines

Child Life

Children's Digest

Highlights

Jack and Jill

Wee Wisdom

Total

Percentage of totals

for the five maga

zines

Fiction

Num- Per

ber Cent

64

90

159

173

139

625

625

10.24

14.40

25.44

27.68

22.24

100.00

17.94

Non-Fiction

Num- Per

ber Cent

105

66

198

206

88

663

663

15.83

9.95

29.86

31.07

13.27

99.98

19.04

ANALYSIS

Verse

Num- Per

ber Cent

46

11

89

143

157

446

446

10.31

2.46

19.95

32.06

35.20

99.98

12.80

AREAS

Activities

Num- Per

ber Cent

282

291

284

286

124

1267

1267

22.25

22.96

22.41

22.57

9.78

99.97

36.38

Special

Features

Num- Per

ber Cent

102

75

56

212

36

481

481

21.20

15.59

11.64

44.07

7.48

99.98

13.81

Total

Num- Per

ber Cent

599

533

786

1020

544

3482

3482

17.20

15.30

22.57

29.29

15.62

99.98

99.97

48

Fictional content.--It was found that six hundred twenty-five or

17.94 per cent of 3,482 occurrences for the five magazines as a group

was devoted to fictional content. Among the five magazines the amount

of coverage devoted to fictional features ranged from sixty-four or

10.28 per cent occurrences in Child Life to one hundred seventy-three

or 27.68 per cent occurrences in Jack and Jill.

Non-fictional content.--It is evident from Table 11 that six

hundred sixty-three or 19.04 per cent of 3,482 occurrences for the

five magazines as a group included non-fictional materials. The types

of non-fictional content of the five magazines ranged from sixty-six

or 9.95 per cent of findings in Children's Digest to a two hundred six

or 31.07 per cent of findings in Jack and Jill.

Verse content.--The data indicated the four hundred forty-six or

12.81 per cent of the occurrences for all five children's magazines as

a group was devoted to verses. The percentage of verse content among

the five magazines ranged from eleven or 2.46 per cent in Children's

Digest to one hundred fifty-seven or 35.20 per cent in Wee Wisdom.

Activity content.--It was found that one thousand two hundred

sixty-seven or 36.38 per cent of the occurrences for the five magazines,

the amount of coverage given to activities ranged from one hundred twenty-

four or 9.78 per cent for Wee Wisdom to two hundred ninety-one or 22.96

per cent for Children's Digest.

Special features.--The data indicated that four hundred eighty-

one or 13.81 per cent of the occurrences of the five children's

magazines contained special features. Special features contained in

the five magazines ranged in occurrences from thirty-six or 7.48 per

cent in Wee Wisdom to two hundred twelve or 44.07 per cent in Jack and Jill.

49

All of the qualitative measures, provisions for reading growth

and development, basic to the analysis and interpretation are identi

fied and characterized in separate paragraphs which are subsumed under

appropriate data-captions which follow immediately below:

Fictional content.--The data on the provisions for reading

growth and development as found in the fictional contents of the five

children's magazines provided for entertainment through stories of

adventure, recreation, and mystery; and supplement the subject content

areas of social studies through stories on citizenship and world rela

tionship; and of science through stories on nature and science.

Non-fictional content.--The data on the provisions for reading

growth and development as found in the non-fictional contents of the

five children's magazines provided information for different reading

purposes, such as entertainment through sports; personal enrichment

through literature (which includes myths and legends, fairy tales,

fables, classics and folk tales), art and music; and supplemental in

formation for content subject area study such as social studies,

science, health, vocabulary growth, mathematics and languages.

Verse content.--The data on the provisions for reading growth

development as in the verse content in each of the five children's

magazines provided for vocabulary growth, personal enrichment, and

individual differences through limericks which are light or humorous

verse forms with specific line schemes, poems about seasons, holidays,

toys, home, school, nature, animals, and children.

50

Activity content.--The data on the provisions for reading growth

and development as found in the five respective magazines showed that

the activity contents provided for vocabulary growth, comprehension,

entertainment, and thinking skills development through hobbies,

things-to-do by following directions as cooking, puzzles, matching,

and locating pictures or objects, number coloring, making things,

and syllabrication and rhyming; and thought provoking games as riddles,

word games, jokes, and picture word stories.

Special feature content.--The data on the provisions for reading

growth and development as found in the special feature contents of

these five selected children's magazines provided for supplementary

information, individual differences and Historical materials; reviews

of books, records, and television programs; letters to the editor and

other which were news letters from readers, pen pall letters, and

religious daily words.

CHAPTER III

SUMMARIES, CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, AND

RECOMMENDATIONS

Introductory statement.—One important source of reading material

for children is children's magazines. A child who reads at his own

option for relaxation, amusement, or interest (other than those

relating to educational obligations) is inclined to involve mental

activities.

A child can gain much information from reading children's

magazines because of the relative brevity of most of the materials.

The researcher felt that reading is a way of learning and magazines

demand reading skills as comprehension, critical skills and varied

rates of reading. Children's magazines provide an extended enrichment

program for young readers. The researcher's interest in the contents

of children's magazines for investigation developed from her observa

tion in the library of reading habits of elementary school children.

The investigator of this study wished to offer more emphasis on

children's reading according to their interest, need, and desires

rather than reading for specific educational assignments. The writer

did not deal with the formal instructional reading program of the

school but with the analysis of the contents of a few selected magazines

which will aid in the reading growth and development of children.

51

52

Reading serves two purposes; a means of gaining information

quickly and vicariously, and a way of using leisure enjoyably and

profitably. Reading stimulates thinking, creates new interests, and

leads to appreciation of various kinds and types of literature. As

a child reads a magazine, he gets information which helps him answer

questions, solve problems, and increase his proficiency and resource

fulness.

Magazines, like classroom materials, need to be carefully selected,

and children need to be provided with techniques for reading them

appropriately. In attempting to engender reading interest, teachers

should themselves cultivate desirable reading interests and provide

opportunities for children to compare different types of magazines and

to develop standards for use in selecting magazines for the best

educational and recreational values.

Locale and research design for the study.--The most important

aspects of the research-design of this study are outlined below:

1. Locale of study - This study was conducted during the

second semester of the 1966-1967 academic year at

Atlanta University. The literature was surveyed at the

Trevor Arnett Library and the School of Library Service

Library, Atlanta University; The accumulation, analysis

and treatment of data for the selected children's

magazines took place in the home of the researcher,

Atlanta, Georgia.

2. Method of research - The Descriptive Method of Research,

utilizing content analysis, was used to conduct this

study.

3. Materials - The materials used in the development of

this analytical study were the 1966 issues of the

five children's magazines from January to December

published monthly, namely:

53

xities

Child Life

Children's Digest

Highlights for Children

Jack and Jill

Wee Wisdom

Age Groups

6-10

5-12

4-12

5-9

5-13

These magazines were selected by criteria set up by

Laura K. Martini and because they were most frequentlychosen by children in the school library.

4. Instruments - The instruments used to collect the basic

data was a specifically designed check-list for the

major analysis areas as divided by Mable C. Lumpkin2

with revisions in the analysis areas: fictional content,

non-fictional content, verse content, activity content,

and special feature content.

The magazines were also subjected to a compiled list of

criteria of provisions for reading growth and develop

ment which were extracted from the literature.

5. Criterion of reliability - The criterion of the reli

ability of the data collected was based upon: (a) ac

cepted criteria of experts from the literature and

(b) the accuracy and objectivity of the evaluations

of the researcher.

6. Procedural steps - Procedural steps for conducting the

study were:

(a) The survey of pertinent literature.

(b) The acquisition of the check-list used to

identify and evaluate the data-items.

(c) The compilation of a list of criteria of

provisions for reading growth and develop

ment as found in the literature.

(d) The selection of magazines to be reviewed and

analyzed.

(e) The assemblage of the data into appropriate

tables as a basis for the analysis and inter

pretation of the data.

^•Martin, loc. cit.. pp. 34-35.

^Lumpkin, loc. cit., p. 101.

54

(f) The formulation of the statements of findings,conclusions, implications, and recommendations.

Summary of related literature.— The review of related literature

made distinct contributions to this study. The survey of literature

is summarized as follows:

1. Content analysis is of considerable value to education

both in the derivation and revision of the curriculum.

2. Efforts are being made to develop methods of adjusting

the curriculum and methods of instruction to indivi

dual differences in the ability, needs, and interests

of the students.

3. Reading has five distinct aspects:

a. Reading is skill development.

b. Reading is a visual act.

c. Reading is a perceptual act.

d. Reading is a thinking process.

e. Reading is based on cultural background.

4. Magazines can provide incentive for a child to explore

his own skills; provide for individuality; and pro

vide opportunities to develop and consolidate

functions which stimulate thinking.

5. The responsibility of teaching children different

materials to read in different ways for different

purposes can be solved by encouraging the reading of

magazines.

6. Magazines are pleasure grounds for children and pro

vide for the following:

a. Give clean, genuine fun to children of all ages.

b. Give them examples of the finest types of boy

hood and girlhood.

c. Inspire them with a fine appreciation of

pictorial art.

d. Cultivate the imagination in profitable directions.

e. Foster a love of country, home, nature, truth,

beauty, sincerity.

f. Prepare boys and girls for life as it is.

g. Stimulate their ambitions - but along normally

progressive lines.

h. Keep pace with a fast-moving world in all its

activities,

i. Give reading matter which every parent may pass to

his children unhesitatingly.

55

7. Reading children's magazines can provide for:

a. Vocabulary growth

b. Personal enrichment

c. Supplementary information

d. Individual differences

e. Reading for different purposes

f. Entertainment

g. Thinking skills

h. Comprehension

Summary of basic findings.—The summary of the basic findings

of the content analysis research of the five selected magazines for

children with reference to the frequency and percentages is presented

below:

1. The fictional content of the five magazines ranged from

sixty-four or 10.24 per cent occurrences in Child Life

to one hundred seventy-three or 27.68 per cent

occurrences in Jack and Jill. The occurrence of fiction

in the other magazines ranked as follows, respectively:

Highlights for Children, Wee Wisdom, and Children's

Digest. Jack and Jill and Highlights gave more place

to stories of fiction, respectively.

2. The types of non-fictional materials in the five

magazines ranged from sixty-six or 9.95 per cent

occurrences in Children's Digest up to two hundred

six or 31.07 per cent occurrences in Jack and Jill.

The occurrence of non-fiction in the other magazines

ranked as follows: Highlights for Children. Child

Life, and Wee Wisdom. Jack and Jill and Highlights

for Children gave more place to non-fictional features

among the five selected magazines.

3. The percentage of verses in the five magazines ranged

from eleven or 2.46 per cent occurrences in Children's

Digest to one hundred fifty-seven or 35.20 per cent

occurrence in Wee Wisdom. The occurrence of verse

content in the other magazines ranked as follows,

respectively: Jack and Jill. Highlights for Children

and Child Life. Of the selected magazines, Wee

Wisdom and Jack and Jill magazines gave more coverage

to verses.

4. The percentage of activities in the five magazines were

found to range from one hundred twenty-four or 22.96

per cent for Children's Digest to two hundred ninety-

one or 9.78 per cent for Wee Wisdom. The occurrence

56

of activities in the following magazine ranked,

respectively: Jack and Jill. Highlights for

Children, and Child Life. Magazines which gave

more emphasis to activities were Children's

Digest. Jack and Jill and Child Life.

5. Special materials in the five magazines ranged in

occurrences from thirty-six or 7.48 per cent in

Wee Wisdom to two hundred twelve or 44.07 per cent

in Jack and Jill. Child Life. Children's Digest

ant* Highlights for Children magazines, respectively,

presented special features with reference to the

percentage rating.

6. The data indicated that of the 3,482 quantitative

occurrences in the five magazines as a group,

activity content, the most prevelant, occurred in

one thousand two hundred sixty-seven or 36.38 per

cent instances. Non-fiction, fiction, special

features, and verses ranked in prevelance of

occurrence, respectively.

7. The scope of the provisions for reading growth and

development was treated in each of the five selected

children's magazines, but the treatment of these

provisions was not in depth in each of the magazines

as based on the criteria of the provisions for reading

growth and development as found in the literature

with reference to varied types of magazines. Among

the five selected children's magazines, Jack and Jill

and Highlights for Children contributed larger

coverage and more varied types of materials for reading

growth and development. The other magazines contri

buted to these provisions, respectively, as follows:

Child Life. Wee Wisdom and Children's Digest.

Conclusions

The conclusions of this study were specific answers to the

purpose of this study. The conclusions were based on the data source

in the present study,

1. From the fictional contents of the five magazines, it

is apparent more attention was given to adventure

stories and stories written by children.

2. Of the non-fictional contents of the five magazines,

art appreciation and science were given larger

coverage.

57

3. The data indicated that the verse content of thefive magazines, poems written by children weregiven more coverage and greater emphasis thanthe other verse types.

4. Of the activity contents of the five magazines,emphasis was placed on things-to-do which provided for more thinking skills development andvocabulary growth.

5. Of the special features in the five children'smagazines, letters-to-the-editor were givengreater coverage than other special features.

6. It was found that the five magazines as a groupplaced major emphasis on the activity content.

7. The data indicated that the scope of the provisions for reading growth and development as

found in the literature was treated in the five

children's magazines, but the treatment of the

provisions was not in depth in each of themagazines.

Implications

The implications which developed out of this study are:

1. The qualitative and quantitative factors of thecontents of the five magazines analyzed with

reference to the analysis areas and provisions for

reading growth and development inherent in the

content merit any effort made in improving tech

niques for reading these magazines appropriately.

2. It is highly probable that the five magazines can

heighten and increase reading skills and supplement

the total curriculum of the elementary school.

3. These children's magazines provide materials for the

intended age levels with extended enrichment

experiences.

Recommendations

The recommendations prompted by the findings of this study are:

.1. Opportunities should be provided for children with the

aid of parents and teachers to compare and evaluate

58

different types of materials as to the children's

own educational and recreational interests, needs,and desires.

2. It is hoped that this study will serve as an aid for

parents, teachers, librarians and other professional

personnel in selecting children's magazines to

supplement the general curriculum and to augment

reading growth.

3. It is hoped that other researchers who are analyzing

the contents of children's magazines will not stop

at counting the pages but will resolve to finding

new ways for these magazines to help develop

communication skills.

4. Publishers of magazines which provide a widespread of

information and activities essential for reading

growth and development should continue to improve

them; Publishers of magazines which did not provide

enough of this material should consider the inclusion

of it in the magazines

5. The results of the information presented in these

magazines were of the nature that the researcher would

recommend that they be used for supplementary as

well as required materials for reading growth and

development.

APPENDIX

59

60

AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF THE CONTENTS OFSELECTED CHILDREN'S MAGAZINES

CHECK-LIST

1. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION

Title of Magazine

Frequency

Recommended age group_

2. ANALYSIS AREAS

A. Fictional Content

Adventure

Mystery

Citizenship_

Nature & Animals_

Science

Other

B. Non-Fictional Content

Manners & Conduct

Health & Safety

Nature

Holidays_

Art appreciation^

Geography

Literature:

Myths & Legends_

Fab1e s

Other

Number of Issues

Month

Recreation

Family Life_

Growing Up__

World Relationships_

Children:

by

about

Clubs

Sports_

Science_

Music

History_

Biography_

Fairy tales_

Folk tales

61

C. Verse Content

By children

About children

Other

D. Activity Content

Hobbies

Things-to-do

Picture word stories

Games:

Indoor

Outdoor

Other

E. Special Features

Comic s:

Entertainment

Literary

Historical

Review:

Books

Records

Other

About animals

About nature

Riddles

Jokes

Cut-outs:

Dolls

Toys

Animals

Letter to the editor

Editorial

Other

Television Programs

Movies

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books

Arbuthnot, May Hill. Children and Books. Chicago: Scott, Foresmanand Company, 1964.

Ayer, N. W., and Sons. Directory of Newspapers and Periodicals.Philadelphia: Ayer and Sons, Inc., 1954.

Beard, Charles. An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of theUnited States. New York: Macmillan Company, 1948.

Berelson, Bernard. Content Analysis of Communication Research.

Illinois: The Free Press, 1952.

Berelson, Bernard and Steiner, Gary A. Human Behavior: An Inventory

of Scientific Findings. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World,

Inc., 1964.

Good, Carter V. (ed.). Dictionary of Education. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1945.

Jehoda, Marie. Research Methods in Social Relations. New York: The

Dryden Press, 1951.

McKim, Margaret. Guiding Growth in Reading in the Modern Elementary

School. New York: Macmillan Company, 1955.

Martin, Laura K. Magazines for School Libraries. New York: H. W.

Wilson Company, 1950.

Meigs, Cornelia. A Critical History of Children's Literature. New

York: Macmillan Company, 1953.

Monroe, Walter S. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Educational Research. New

York: Macmillan Company, 1950.

Mott, Frank Luther. A History of American Magazines. 1741-1850. 3 Vols.

Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1938.

Mott, P. and Vincent W. Modern Educational Theories. New York:

McGraw-Hill Company, 1952.

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Mouly, George J. The Science of Educational Research. New York:American Book Company, 1963.

Spache, George D. Reading in the Elementary School. Boston: Allynand Bacon, Inc., 1964.

Articles and Periodicals

Alexander, Elenora. "The Librarian's Multimedia Role," The InstructorLXXIV (November, 1964), 55-70. '

Burris, Miriam. "Japan in Children's Fiction," Elementary EnglishXXXXIII (January, 1966), 29-38.

Calitri, C. J. "A Structure for Teaching the Language Arts," HarvardEducational Review. XXV (Fall, 1965), 481-91.

Denemark, George W. "The Teacher and His Staff," N. E. A. Journal. LV

(December, 1966), 16-19.

Donnell, Thomas P. "The Cult of Science Fiction," Catholic World

CLXXVIII (October, 1953), 15.

Durkin, Dolores. "What Other Magazines Say About Reading," The Reading

Teacher. XIX (April, 1966), 545-49.

Hines, F. D., and Jenkins, M. "Reading for Responsible Citizenship,"

Childhood Education. XXXXII (November, 1961), 102-04.

Hinterreiter, Gilda. "Authur Lismer/Artist and Art-Educator: A

Reflection on His Life, Work and Philosophy," School Arts.

LXVI (January, 1967), 21-28.

Horn, Thomas D. "Challenge of Periodicals in Education," Elementary

English. XLIII (April, 1966), 406-10.

_. "Periodicals for Children and Youth," Elementary

English. XLIII (April, 1966), 341-45.

Lesson, Jeanie Tellier. "Word Games Take the Dullness Out of Vocabulary

Drill," Grade Teacher. LXXXIV (January, 1967), 14-16.

Loban, Walter. "Balancing the Literature Program," Elementary English.

XLIII (November, 1966), 746-51.

Nunnally, Nancy. "Magazines and Newspapers for Children," Childhood

Education. XLII (April, 1966), 517-21.

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"Pep Up Their Verse-Writing with a Poetry Booklet," Grade TeacherLXXXIII (November, 1965), 67-144.

Powell, William R. "Classroom Libraries: Their Frequency of Use,"

Elementary English. XLIII (April, 1966), 365.

Smith, Nila Banton. "Early Reading: Viewpoints," Childhood EducationXLII (December, 1965), 229-41. '

Spache, George D. "Interesting Books for the Reading Teacher," The

Reading Teacher. XIX (April, 1966), 537-43.

Spoenl, Dorothy T. "Magazines and Newspapers for Children," ChildhoodEducation. XXXXII (April, 1962), 301-6.

Thur, Maureen. "Children Magazines in the Classroom," The InstructorLXXIV (May, 1964), 19.

Unruh, Glenys G. "Parents Can Help Their Children Succeed in School,"

N. E. A. Journal. LV (December, 1966), 14-16.

Wolfson, Bernice J. "Individualization of Instruction," Journal of

the Reading Specialist. V (December, 1964), 45-53.

. "Individualizing Instruction," N. E. A. Journal.LV (November, 1966), 31-35.

Unpublished Materials

Bates, Mayrene Beasley. "An Analysis of Periodicals Articles on Negro

Librarianship." Unpublished Master's thesis, School of Library

Service, Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia, 1958.

Black, Eldred. "A Study of Science Reasoning Abilities of Science

Fiction Readers." Unpublished Master's thesis, School of

Education, Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia, 1959.

Boyce, Joseph Anthony. "A Survey of Periodicals Holdings in the

Atlanta University Center in the Field of Religion, 1964."

Unpublished Master's thesis, School of Education, Atlanta

University, Atlanta, Georgia, 1964.

Johnson, Clevester. "An Analysis of Periodical Articles Dealing with

Paperbounds in the School Library and Indexed in Library

Literature, 1959-1963." Unpublished Master's thesis, School

of Library Service, Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia, 1965.

Lumpkin, Mable C. "An Analysis of the Content of a Selected Number of

Children's Magazines." Unpublished Master's thesis, School of

Library Service, Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia, 1955.

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Richards, Ruby Tolbert. "Current Approaches to Reading Instruction and

Their Implications for Slow Learning, Partially Seeing Children."

Unpublished Master's thesis, School of Education, Atlanta

University, Atlanta, Georgia, 1966.

Wilborn, Bessie Q. H. "A Comparison of Content Analysis and Children's

Reaction to Selected types of Magazines." Unpublished Master's

thesis, School of Education, Atlanta University, Atlanta,

Georgia, 1960.

Wilkerson, Clayton Duke. "The Development of the Division of Christian

Education in the African Methodist Episcopal Church." Unpublished

Master's thesis, School of Religion, Interdenominational

Theological Seminary, Atlanta, Georgia, 1965.

Woods, Willie C. "A Content Analysis of the Treatment of Listening

Skills in Ten Language Arts Textbooks." Unpublished Master's

thesis, School of Education, Atlanta University, Atlanta,

Georgia, 1966.

VITA

Name:

Education:

Experience:

Graduate Fields

of Concentration:

Personal Information:

Joan Marie Wilkerson

B.A., Spelman College, (Psychology

and Speech and Drama), 1959; School

of Education, Atlanta University;

School of Library Service, Atlanta

University.

Assistant Librarian, University

Homes Atlanta Public Library (part

time), 1956-1962; Second Grade

Teacher, Peter James Bryant Ele

mentary School, 1959-1963; Toured

several European Countries, Summer,

1962; Second Grade Teacher, Cooper

Street Elementary School, 1963-1964;

Librarian, Cooper Street Elementary

School, 1963 -

Elementary Education and Library

Service.

Single; Member, American Education

Association, National Teachers

Association, National Congress of

Parents and Teachers, Gate City

Teachers Association, Atlanta Library

Club, Allen Temple African Methodist

Episcopal Church, Honorary member of

St. John African Methodist Episcopal

Church, Atlanta, Georgia.

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