Challenging texts can be made accessible to students by increasing the level of instructional scaffolding. This article describes evidence-based models of shared reading that support reading development across the elementary years. Shared Reading Experience (Holdaway, 1982), Fluency-Oriented Reading Instruction (Stahl & Heubach, 2005),…

This report describes an individualized literacy intervention program that was developed for a fifth grade boy who struggled with reading. Based upon informal assessment and evaluation procedures, the following literacy strategies were taught within a one-to-one instructional setting: Repeated Readings, Personal Vocabulary Journal, Phonemic…

This research investigated factors that influence the implementation levels of evidence-based comprehension strategy instruction (CSI) among K-3 teachers. An explanatory design was chosen to gather and probe the data. Quantitative data were gathered via a mailed survey distributed through a representative sample of the 40 school districts (through…

Describes a theory of readers, reading, and text based on an interpretation of one incident involving the author and his daughter. Regards current understandings about readers, reading, and texts not as firm propositions but as fragile potentials. (RS)

Exploring ways of helping teachers to extend their pupils' literacy, this paper's intent is to devise and try in classrooms a range of strategies whereby teachers might develop the abilities of their children to use literacy more effectively as a means of learning. It gives an outline of the model used, the Extending Interaction with Texts, or…

Argues that historical understanding requires historical thinking--taking a critical stance toward what is read and assuming a questioning attitude. Identifies numerous trade books that deal with sources (showing how evidence is acquired and evaluated), conflicting interpretations, and powerful concepts and generalizations. Describes how to help…

Investigates how multiple stances in reading can reveal new insights into texts. Demonstrates three ways that a single text can be read from the perspectives of a pleasurable reading, a postcolonial reading, and a critical multicultural reading. Argues that readers will confirm existing meanings determined by others' ideologies unless they are…

Argues that teaching students to use pictures in their minds improves their thinking skills. Offers a four step procedure for helping students formulate their own techniques for creating mind pictures. (FL)

Offers a metacognitive strategy for helping students answer inferential comprehension questions and a research-based rationale for its use. (FL)

Provides classroom teachers with seven guidelines for responding to readers in ways that support the use of strategies for making sense of text. Discusses traditional responses to readers and "round-robin" reading versus reading conferences. Concludes that by responding appropriately to readers, teachers provide powerful demonstrations of the…

Argues that encouraging students to read across texts (to make connections among their various reading experiences) promotes deeper understanding and response. Poses and discusses four scaffolding questions to guide teachers in making decisions about activities that facilitate reading across texts. Includes a list of children's books and an…

Examines the effects of direct instruction in finding the main idea of an expository text, and in monitoring reading comprehension using self-generated questions based on main ideas. Reports that reading comprehension improved with direct instruction in main idea and question generating. (MM)

Evaluates Phil Ritchie's research report (same issue) on the effects of direct instruction in finding the main idea of expository texts and using self-generated questions to monitor text comprehension. Points out that the most successful teachers of comprehension are teaching comprehension skills directly. (MM)

Encourages teachers to evaluate the strategies used by their students in comprehension. Argues that this will provide information that will help in planning instruction. (FL)

Concludes that a cloze strategy, which induced students to integrate text information with prior knowledge, yielded superior gains in comprehension compared to treatments that did not include the strategy. (FL)