To develop a love of reading in the young, teachers need rich repertoires of children's literature and other texts. However, the significance of this subject knowledge is rarely given the attention it deserves in policy, practice, or training contexts. This article, drawing on survey data from England and Finland, underlines these concerns. It…

Fathers' engagement in their children's education has increased over the years, yet we know less about fathers' perspectives and engagement in children's literacy development. The authors focused on a fatherhood reading program that was initiated in several Title 1 schools in a large school district in the Southeastern United States. Findings are…

Vocabulary knowledge is a critical contributor to reading, especially reading comprehension. A word-rich classroom environment maximizes students' opportunities to learn new words. The teacher's use of language provides an important model for children's vocabulary development. By modeling the use of sophisticated words, teachers can promote…

This column focuses on the innovative strategies some teachers from Kazakhstan and Oceania are using to overcome the challenges they face. In Kazakhstan, schools organize reading days to encourage and inspire children to read. In the predominantly oral culture of the Cook Islands, Niue Island, and Rarotonga, teachers and administrators model…

While many basal readers do portray characters reading, others could do more to provide children with role models. (DD)

Discusses a number of "spunky" girls in adolescent and children's literature. Explains the importance of young people having such characters as models. (FL)

Argues that teachers are the most important factor in the process of motivating children to read. Explains how teachers can model reading for their students. (FL)

Indicates that hearing stories read aloud in their native languages did not interfer with ESL children's reading achievement in English, and there were many benefits from having parents read those stories in a school setting. (FL)