Describes how IBM's "LinkWay" hypertext program was used in the Tuba City Boarding School (Navajo Reservation) to develop reading improvement programs and to allow students to develop their own productions. Notes that the program addresses the cooperative, noncompetitive nature of the Navajo learning style, and the problems of unfamiliar content…

Presents an excerpt from an observed 30-minute Reading Recovery lesson. Describes aspects of the Reading Recovery Program. Introduces the articles in this themed issue on learning, teaching, and learning to teach in the Reading Recovery program. (RS)

Looks at what is known about multisyllabic words, which is a lot more than educators knew when the previous generation of multisyllabic word instruction was created. Reviews the few studies that have carried out instructional approaches to increase students' ability to decode big words. Outlines a program of instruction, based on what is currently…

Examines a learning community of remedial readers and writers struggling with emergent forms of literacy. Documents their transformations of this literacy into more conventional forms. Notes that four main themes emerged to help explain the nature of the mediating activities: decision-making, opportunity, choice, and engagement. (SG)

Focuses on the complementary model of Lawton's (1999) three collaborative instructional models. Notes that the complementary model establishes the classroom teacher as the educator primarily responsible for instruction. Discusses collaboration during reading instruction, helping students prepare to read, helping students engage in the reading…

Informs practitioners working with struggling readers of the latest research on home influences on reading motivation. Provides research-based suggestions to teachers as to how they might enlist the assistance of parents in motivating struggling readers. Shows that supportive home environments foster motivation for reading, which leads to more…

Notes many students with disabilities benefit from prompts for reading in general education classrooms. Considers how visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile prompts implemented by the teacher, by the student with minimal teacher assistance, or by the student independently can facilitate more effective reading. Describes strategies for using…

Describes how early literacy practices were extended to accelerate the literacy progress of at-risk third- through sixth-grade students through a summer school model and an intersession model for year-round schools. Concludes that both models produced impressive gains in reading achievement, with the year-round intersession model producing the…

Focuses on how classroom teachers can instruct their students in essential reading and writing skills while using social studies as the medium for discussion. Offers a general overview of representative cooperative learning methods and a more in-depth description of a few specific reading and writing applications. Describes other potential…

Addresses the issue of teacher purpose in using technology for reading and literacy instruction. Notes that computers were used mostly for motivation and self-esteem and not for raising achievement. Argues that educators need to critically think through the multiple realities they face as they consider the use of technology with disabled readers.…

Summarizes findings about repeated reading since the 1970s and details the most recent findings. Argues that, because of strong evidence of the effectiveness of repeated reading, the many facets of this procedure should be integrated into the fabric of daily literacy instruction. Offers specific suggestions for applications including applications…

Examines the behaviors of children and their teachers across repeated readings of the same text across several Reading Recovery lessons. Finds increased monitoring, error detection, self-correction, and fluency. Finds that teacher interventions decreased and changed in substantive ways. (RS)

Deals with S. Kagan's (1990) structural approach to cooperative learning and its application to language arts. Offers detailed descriptions of several cooperative learning structures, including Numbered Heads Together, Roundtable, Think-Pair-Share, Corners, and others. Provides examples from actual classroom settings, along with various teacher…

Discusses reading fluency, the role of fluency in reading, and how fluency works. Suggests students' fluency and reading comprehension can be boosted by combining the technique of repeated reading and Readers Theatre--the combination is an effective and viable means of motivating children to read a text. (RS)

Investigates effects of a direct instruction main idea summarization program and a self-monitoring technique on the reading comprehension of 4 sixth-grade students with learning disabilities. Student performance was assessed after the main idea instruction and self-monitoring training. Finds the program produced increases in identifying and…