Books in the home provide a pivotal connection point for caregivers and children for developing important social and emotional skills, as well the most critical life skills that children will acquire--literacy and a love of learning. However, access to books in many communities is limited and many households have no books at all. But what if…

Community-based volunteer programs to support children's book reading have existed in Japan for the past 70 years or so. Recently, because of the national emphasis on providing child-rearing support for families with young children, more programs are being offered to encourage parent-child shared book reading starting when children are very young.…

Reviews research on literature discussion groups, which suggests that groups allow readers to bring personal experiences to and take meaning from books, and young readers come to deeper levels of understanding. Discusses the use of literature groups in a kindergarten classroom, focusing on the teacher's use of and responses to literature, and the…

Argues that structured reading programs, workbook pages, and drills do not alone provide an adequate basis for beginning reading instruction and suggests that experiences, knowledge, and other environmental factors ensure success in reading. (HOD)