ABSTRACT
Our schools presumably function as ways for students to prepare for participation in society. Schools serve students and the nation well when upon completing their education, students become productively employed and can demonstrate their responsibility as citizens by engaging in activities such as voting and participating in community activities. At the core of these activities is literacy. Citizens who read efficiently, widely, and critically tend to be more productive members of society in both community involvement and work (Guthrie, Shafer, & Hutchinson, 1991).
