Stories are woven so tightly into the fabric of our everyday lives that it's easy to overlook their significance in framing how we think about ourselves and the world. Stories are meaning making, providing a means of structuring and reflecting on our experiences in order to understand their significance. Story is also life making, a way of…

Researchers and educators have long argued for the importance of providing time and space for rich conversations around literature. This column draws on research to consider how teachers make room for these discussions inside their classrooms. Particularly, the authors consider different dimensions along which teachers might examine and grow…

In recent years, scholars and other educators have encouraged language arts teachers to include LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) issues and texts in their classrooms. Despite these efforts, scholars have pointed out that LGBT perspectives are seldom included in language arts pedagogy. Studies of teacher attitudes toward addressing LGBT…

This article honors Karen Smith, who has been given NCTE's Outstanding Educator in the English Language Arts award for 2009. Through the voices of many colleagues and former students, the article celebrates Karen as a teacher, learner, mentor, collaborator, scholar, storyteller, and visionary thinker and doer.

In her writings about the Ingall's family, Laura Ingalls Wilder has provided for all level of readers an informative and interesting picture of pioneer life. (JH)

Discusses ten ERIC documents which offer suggestions for integrating writing activities with oral language, ongoing classroom experiences, and literature. (DD)

This paper identifies some of the resources the author has found and used to help future teachers become fully inclusive teachers, particularly of early elementary students. Through sharing these resources--children's literature, a children's literature textbook, edited books for teacher educators and pre- and inservice teachers, and a video--the…

The time has come for white authors to realize their own limitations in dealing with minority images in childrens books and quit sowing seeds of racism in the minds of defenseless children. (JH)

Familiarity with dance enhances perceptivity in the other arts by virtue of the kinesthetic sensitization it affords. (JH)

Reconsiders the nature of literature as a school subject. Discusses the notion that school literature is different from reading literature outside school. Discusses three anomalies: the text and the textbook; educators' idolatry of "naive readers" whose heads are to be stuffed; and the roles of the reader and writer in school programs.…

Reviews the major theoretical statements regarding the contribution of literature to reading development, noting that they fall into two interwoven strands: the notion of learning to read through literature, and learning to read literature. Evaluates the empirical evidence supporting the claim that literature plays an important role in learning to…

Mad Magazine is a highly sophisticated, satiric commentary on virtually all phases of American culture and should not be overlooked as a literary source.

Studying the literature of many cultures is desirable because the absence of such literature deprives children of a fully-rounded education in literature. (JH)