A survey completed by 22 literacy clinic directors indicated that clinics share beliefs and instructional practices. Literacy clinics provide a context in which children are taught to read and write by clinicians who are training to be literacy teachers. As best practices in reading instruction are debated, effective clinical assessment and…

In this article, the author invites teachers of children who are bilingual, multilingual, and at promise for bi-/multilingualism to honor and build on their rich literacy practices. To do so, she challenges ideas and labels that continuously disempower bilingual and multilingual learners. Souto-Manning establishes the understanding that education…

Reviews five professional resource books on whole language instruction and mentions three additional books on the topic. Suggests these books to educators who are interested in obtaining information and support for child-centered instruction. (MG)

Shares observations and reflections on the writing development of very young authors. Looks closely at one student to reveal how a skillful and perceptive teacher makes use of the child as informant to support continuing learner independence. (MG)

Explores the role of purpose in reading lessons by discussing some common problems with teacher-directed purpose, looking at how purpose works during reading, identifying purposes for reading and instructional strategies for each purpose, and developing a set of guidelines for thinking and making decisions about purpose and reading lessons. (MG)

Explains how one teacher combined reciprocal teaching and cooperative learning to promote active learning and encourage students to assume a variety of responsibilities. (MG)

Notes the importance of developing listening skills through direct instruction. Identifies specific listening skills and suggests how to teach them. Describes how both teachers and students can develop a listening skills curriculum. (MM)

Describes "Sort, Search, and Discover," a spelling instruction strategy that assesses students' current knowledge and individualizes the study of words with common spelling patterns or rules. Discusses how it was developed, the five-day instructional plan, and how to adjust for an inclusion classroom. (SR)

Considers how the concept of Traveling Literacy Trunk was designed to reach all corners of the state of Oregon with compelling, student-centered, developmentally appropriate writing activities that could be shared with teaching professionals. Outlines 12 steps for developing a Traveling Literacy Trunk. Describes many benefits of the Literacy…

Asserts that reading and writing skill instruction should not be taught as a set of discrete steps with phonics workbooks, but instead should be based on examples taken from texts which children write and read. (MM)

Discusses research which shows that activity-centered classes do affect self-concept positively and may increase reading achievement for some first graders. (JM)

Describes the reading workshop approach as a classroom organization that is flexible enough to be used by teachers in literature-based instruction, by teachers making the transition of literature-based instruction, and by teachers using a basal series. (MG)

Discusses how a fourth-grade language arts teacher (who had moved from basal instruction to a program based on students' selection of literature) used "circle discussions" to satisfy, in part, the accountability concerns of parents and administrators. Notes that these discussions of literature among the students became an integral part…

Shares insights into how literature study circles helped group members make connections between their lives and themes in books and influenced students' perceptions of themselves as readers in a culturally diverse world. (MG)