Analyzes read-alouds of information books in a first-grade classroom. Finds that children's responses to the books and the connections they made among texts and between texts and other aspects of their lives shows that children's backgrounds are important factors in their literacy development. Notes the strength that diversity in children's…

This case study of a struggling reader suggests that learning to read is not necessarily about using the right program, but rather about making the right connection. This case describes how Ashley, a child with special needs, came to literacy in her own way in the company of Barbara Park's fictional character, Junie B. Jones, a girl about her age…

Playing the Play describes the experiences of a storyteller and teacher of literature who created a literature-based literacy program at Concourse House, a homeless shelter in Bronx, New York, for women and their young children. This program is based on the belief that pleasure is the primary reason children want to learn to read, and that where…