School is sometimes framed as a place for preparing, a place for becoming college and career ready. At times this approach positions school as an important space "within" the world of college and careers, envisioned perhaps as Dewey imagined it, as a safe place to try things, a space where real work of participation in society could be done but in…

Describes a way students can get to know their textbook, not feel threatened by it, and get to know its many study aids by approaching the text as they would a new class member and by generating and then answering a list of questions about the textbook. (SR)

Compelling aspects I have noticed throughout my teaching life are the multitude of understandings boys have concerning themselves as readers. In this inquiry, as part of a larger year-long ethnographic study, I observed and analyzed how what counts as talk around text accomplishes curriculum mandates and achieves valuable social ends for one third…

Discusses the Facts and Feelings Response Diary strategy for assisting middle school students in inclusive settings to connect both efferently and aesthetically with informational text. Notes that this activity stimulates students to focus their attention on important facts and details and to use their prior experiences, feelings, interests,…

Describes "Character Interviews," a class activity that guides children, especially reluctant readers, to the meaning of a story through a thoughtful understanding of character as they consider a character's emotions and motives, to respond to a question as that character would. Describes the interview process. Offers sample interviews…

Describes how the authors establish the groundwork and the practice of literature circles in their primary classrooms. Describes how they redefine reading to allow all students to think of themselves as readers from the start. Describes the crucial role of talking and listening. Describes what shape literature circles take. Notes that this kind of…

Describes activities used in a 12th-grade literature classroom that develops students' prior knowledge to help them connect to the literature before reading it. (SR)

Examines four fifth-grade students' stances and their responses to a narrative text in three classroom activities--a peer-led discussion group, a story map activity, and written responses. Investigates issues regarding the accessibility of shifts in stance for the students. Calls into question L. Rosenblatt's construct of the aesthetic-efferent…