This paper analyzes: (1) the task of learning to read, in the context of cognitive and linguistic tools a child has at his/her disposal; (2) how these tools change with further development and experience; and (3) how teachers can foster this development and growth. Eight research-based recommendations for classroom teaching are given. (PP)

This study focused on whether reading instruction based on popular youth-oriented television programs increases task involvement or reading achievement scores. After one year, reading scores of classes using television scripts, in addition to regular materials, were significantly higher than those of nontreatment classes. (JN)

Describes theoretical and practical problems facing the field of early reading, examining: readers and texts (reader processes, text difficulty, linguistic and cultural knowledge, and unique learners); home and school (home-school match, communities and reading, preschools as contexts for reading acquisition, and best practices); and policy and…

This article discusses: (1) evolution of the concept of selective underachievement in reading; (2) evidence that reading disorders are linked to written language and speech problems; and (3) anatomical, physiological, and biochemical aspects of brain research. Specialized medical instruments do not yet replace good clinical observation for…

Discusses the complexities of teaching and learning multiple literacies at the middle and high school levels, examining the roles of and interactions between learners, texts, and contexts. The paper presents data from three case studies of secondary and adolescent learners' literacies in and out of school and in a variety of content areas. (SM)

Four different vocabulary lists based on the study of children's writing were consulted to generate a basic spelling list of 850 words. The Basic Spelling Vocabulary List provides words that children most often use when writing and that are important in beginning reading instruction. (SM)

The author describes the evolution of a traditional on-campus secondary science methods course into a dynamic field- and campus-based professional development school collaboration. Whereas science teaching methods were taught in an isolated and independent course, they are now integrated within an interdependent experiential semester that…