This study reports the perceptions and understanding of extensive reading (ER) of 259 ER practitioners in Japan, Thailand, Mongolia, and Vietnam. The majority of participants understood the core principles of ER, namely (a) the fluent reading of (b) a lot of (c) easy texts. However, about 25% of the participants in Thailand, Mongolia, and Vietnam…

Drawing from sociological and economic analyses of gender and work, this column explores issues of occupational gender segregation, privilege, and devaluation. Comparisons are made with increased female achievement at all levels in postsecondary education. The questions are then raised: If cultural devaluation of women and activities remains…

The introduction of Common Core State Standards has many middle grade school teachers concerned with implementing standards while retaining student reading engagement and motivation strategies. This study analyzes the effectiveness of providing social networking strategies in online book discussion groups on enhancing middle grade student reading…

As educators we talk a great deal about theory to practice, and we hope our candidates will understand and make the connections needed in order to apply their theory to practice. Often though, we do not spend enough time helping our candidates discover what their own theory base is and thus that theory to practice (praxis) connection gets broken.…

Recent empirical evidence suggests that the updated DeLone and McLean's information systems (D&M IS) model can identify the determinants of success of online communities in terms of member loyalty (Lin and Lee 2006). This study is similarly concerned with the challenge of identifying the determinants of success of online communities, but it…

Frank Smith and Kenneth Goodman were the most frequently cited authors; Bond and Dykstra's "The Cooperative Research Program in First Grade Reading Instruction" and Chall's "Learning to Read: The Great Debate" the most frequently cited works in a survey that asked graduate faculty in reading to name "classics" in reading research. (FL)

In December of 2006 and again in February of 2007, fifty Literacy Professors representing almost every college and university in Michigan met in a collegial forum to discuss and advocate for all students involved in reading instruction/education. This advocacy spans students from prekindergarten through college undergraduates and graduates. The…

The impetus for writing the history of the College Reading Association (CRA) came from charges given to the historians by President Judy Richardson on November 24, 1995. She took the charges from the "Procedural Practices Manual," which mandate the preparation of a series of 5-year highlights of the CRA. This history begins by stating…

In this paper, the author explains why she prefers the term "literacy animator" to "literacy educator." According to Oladumi Arigbede (1994), literacy animators view their role as assisting in the self-liberating development of people in the world who are struggling for a more meaningful life. In explaining the author's…

Explains the diagnostic-remedial reading practicum, a program in teacher education for those who are completing an area of concentration in teaching reading. (FL)

This editorial extrapolates and highlights the role, responsibility, academic course preparation, and competency areas as cited by the International Reading Association (IRA) publication, "Guidelines for the Specialized Preparation of Reading Professionals," for the college developmental reading and study skills professional. The purpose…

Provides a survey to test teachers' affective responses to reading research. (MKM)

Presents a humorous treatment of trends in the literacy business: blaming somebody else and tackling complex problems as if they were easy. (SR)

Discusses comments about and responses to an article on semiotics by Donald J. Cunningham in the June 1992 issue of the "Educational Psychology Review." Discusses the semiotic method of juxtaposition, juxtaposing a menace being posed to reading teachers with the menace experienced in W. W. Jacobs' classic ghost story "The Monkey's Paw." (SR)

Proposes extending the training of reading teachers to include sociological aspects. Describes three traits that training programs for reading educators could foster: ecological thinking; cultural responsiveness; and communicative competence. Suggests changes which would align the training of reading teachers with these sociological…