A study to investigate whether admission personnel actually read letters received from prospective students and responded accordingly, or merely followed a set program--sending material they deemed essential regardless of specific requests for information--is discussed. (MLW)

Responds to Spiegel's article on child abuse by asserting that elementary school counselors need to be aware and knowledgeable of issues surrounding child abuse and to have commitment to reporting any and all cases of suspected child abuse. Considers responsibility for accurately reporting cases of child abuse to be shared by all of society. (NB)

Discusses some concrete examples of the kinds of conflicts that can surface when reader-response theory is actually practiced in the classroom, and considers some of the implications. Urges instructors to make room for contesting views and to facilitate serious, committed, personal interchanges. (MS)

Discusses William Beatty Warner's "Reading Clarissa: The Struggles of Interpretation," a study of Samuel Richardson's role as eighteenth-century critic and interpreter of his own novels. Examines the treatment of character by both Richardson and Warner, focusing on Richardson's humanist interpretation and Warner's anti-humanist…

Argues that literature instruction should enable readers to find the connections between their experience and the literary work. Explains how discussions can be guided to focus on students' reactions, perceptions, and associations with a text. (MM)

Suggests the double-entry journal as an effective method of encouraging the creation and discovery of new information in literature classes. Describes the three processes involved (and the theoretical underpinnings of each), including: (1) activating prior knowledge and present feelings; (2) learning collaboratively; and (3) integrating reading,…

Probes William Wordsworth's relationship to the young reader. Concludes that although many young people today cannot have the direct, immediate experience of nature that overawed Wordsworth, they can, in a room where they sit down together and read a poem, "learn a contemplative solitude--and respond to [a] poem in their individual…

Describes a teacher's personal memories which, when shared with students, helped make the poetry of Wordsworth and Whitman more meaningful. Suggests that for true comprehension of poetry to occur--Romantic or otherwise--teachers must lead students and model from within their own personal connections. (NH)

Maintains that teachers' use of classroom poetry provides opportunities for children to respond to ideas, feelings, and events. Examples illustrate how poetry offers readers/listeners invitations to participate: invitations to identify with others, gain new perspectives, retell stories, move with the sound of language, and respond to one's own…

Maintains that healthy emotional development in preadolescents can be enhanced when chilren vicariously experience laughter and tears (sadness) in their reading. A survey of 531 fifth-graders indicated favorite humorous and sad books of preadolescents. Lists books and suggests recommendations for teachers. (BB)

This article studies the effects of complexity and completeness in an introductory psychology textbook on students' understanding of the text materials. It was found that students presented with oversimplified versions made incorrect references. Complex presentation, however, did not adversely affect the students' test responses. (JAZ)

Presents a resposne to the Matheny et al stress-coping meta-analysis by focusing on application of their theory. Suggests the incorporation of an additional dimension, namely personality type. Discusses preventive and combative coping, and implications for treatment and research. (KS)

Discusses the Matheny et al stress-coping model and analysis of treatment effectiveness, noting the lack of clarity as to the method used by the authors to develop the categories. Concludes by underscoring certain issues, raising several questions, and making a few suggestions in regard to research and treatment issues. (KS)

Argues that in the study of literature, the authority of the text is confounded by the authority of the teacher. Suggests that more effective learning takes place when the authority of both text and teacher is set aside. (FL)

Explains how to teach F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" in three stages: before, during, and after a close look at the text and outlines the novel's narrative structure. (HOD)