PROGRAMSKA DJELA I SAMOSTALNI IZBORI – ČEMU I ZAŠTO OSMACI DAJU PREDNOST

Abstract

Reading literacy is a key factor in education, life, and work in the modern age, which is recognized in the Montenegrin subject curricula for teaching the mother tongue and literature in primary (2017) and secondary schools (2020) and is noticeable in educational and knowledge outcomes aimed at the development of both different reading strategies and this demanding cognitive skill as a whole. Concerning the described topic, in this paper, we also cite the results of research into the reading interests of children and young people carried out in Montenegro and the region, and we also refer to international research from similar fields, given that the problem of (non)reading among young people is a global trend. The mentioned topic in the region was mostly researched at the high school age, but considering that the researched population (primary school eighth-graders) goes to high school as the next level of education, and a step forward in the development of literacy competence, of which reading is an inseparable part, the mentioned results we considered significant for our research. A comparison with similar research in the region and beyond has shown that, when it comes to the genre of literary works, and partly their titles, both inschool and out-of-school reading, the preferences of the respondents largely coincide with the choices of their peers from the region and beyond, which is why it is most likely contributed by a strong generational connection based on the possibilities provided by modern technology. The results of the research are proof that future dedicated readers, seekers of a good book, and sincere devotees can still be successfully formed during the teaching of literature in modern circumstances. Therefore, it is the task of adults, as creators and implementers of education, to dedicate themselves to the development of the reading of literary-artistic texts, in an organized and synergistic way, and to change themselves by accepting changes for the sake of those they educate.