The Reading Behavior of Junior Secondary Students During School Holidays in Botswana

Botswana's reading culture has captured the attention of reading experts in the country for more than two decades. The survey reported in this article involved 121 junior students (aged 12 to 15 years) from two private and two government-aided secondary schools. The results indicate that a majority of the students read during school holidays; that they engaged in both academic and leisure reading; that they read at home rather than at the library; and that their parents modeled reading behavior and bought them reading materials. Students' responses further indicate that they understood the importance of reading and read not only for leisure or academic purposes, but also to please their parents and thus promote family harmony.