Contemporary nonfiction for young people plays a crucial role in the reading and writing lives of K-12 students. It is a rich and compelling genre that supports students' development as critically, visually, and informationally literate 21st century thinkers and creators. Unlike many textbooks and materials written for online or print-based school…

This position statement affirms the need to develop accessible and effective reading pedagogies in college writing classrooms so that students can engage more deeply in all of their courses and develop the reading abilities that will be essential to their success in college, in their careers, and for their participation in a democratic society.…

Schools and teachers act to a limited degree in "loco parentis", thus assuming the role of parents, especially in the health and safety of minors in attendance at public school, but also in setting educational standards. Public schools have been delegated this role and implement policies, programs, and procedures that sometimes, unintentionally,…

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) "Standards for the 21st-Century Learner" is filled with objectives that are mostly unobjectionable--and that would have been just as applicable in the twentieth century. Who, after all, would oppose the idea of "organizing knowledge so it's useful"? Who's going to deny the value of effective…

When asked what Facebook is for, kids will say that it's there to help them make friends. The kids the author celebrated in his early books as "digital natives," capable of seeing through all efforts of big media and marketing, have actually proven less able to discern the integrity of the sources they read and the intentions of the programs they…

Discusses critical issues in school library media programs, including problems in the profession; building the collection to support the curriculum; resource-based education; literature-based reading programs; conceptual frameworks for new technologies, new kinds of textbooks, and differentiated staffing; professional leadership by administrators…

Explains the need for family literacy programs in Illinois and describes efforts to improve adult and child literacy. Topics discussed include poverty; reading, writing, and computing instruction; interaction between parents and children; families and books; partnerships between state agencies, private organizations, and public libraries; and…

Explores the status of 183 elementary classroom libraries in Texas. Provides suggestions on how teachers can design excellent classroom libraries. Asserts that classroom libraries can promote voluntary reading. (PRA)

Compares kinds of learning or skills required in reading and library media use in the following categories: (1) factual information; (2) visual identification; (3) principles and concepts; (4) procedures; (5) perceptual motor skills; and (6) attitude and opinion development. Cooperation between reading teachers and media specialists is advocated.…

Points out that the use of the library is an important part of the educational process and that teaching recreational reading and browsing skills should be mandatory.(EL)

The Communications Director of the American Library Association (ALA) offers five reasons librarians should claim literacy as their top professional mission: the "America Reads Challenge" to ensure that all 8-year-olds can read by the year 2000; the ALA's experience in literacy programs; the issue's universality; the success of past…

Considers several topics related to children and reading, including the author's childhood reading experiences, her experiences writing about and teaching children's literature, the effects of television on reading, types of literature-based reading programs, and requirements for a successful reading program. (23 references) (MES)

Discusses eight reasons why there should be a good children's literature curriculum in the school setting. Suggests 10 guidelines for teachers to assess their achievement in guiding optimal pupil achievement in children's literature. Discusses evaluating pupil progress in children's literature. (SR)

Discusses the written responses of children, who were taught to read using library books, to the stories they are reading and to reading in general. (HTH)

Considering the debate in reading instruction between whole language and phonics, this paper suggests personalizing the teaching of reading using both methods of reading instruction. It gives two examples of how personalized units of reading instruction were used. The paper suggests giving pupils ample opportunities to choose and read a library…