Describes the powerful connections an English teacher and his students made with Sandra Cisneros'"The House on Mango Street." Discusses how the book invites the reader to experience racism, shares the mainstream of the American experience, and deals with growing up. Notes that the book had a powerful impact on students' writing and their desire to…

Examines effect of use of e-mail by college developmental reading students to respond to literature. Provides a detailed view of the nature of the students' engagement. Shows that using quality literature, e-mail, and authentic audiences engaged many students in academic discourse. (RS)

Describes a framework that helps seventh- and eight-grade readers write about what they notice, question, feel, and relate to (about the book they are reading) in reader response journals. Shows how, as a result, they deepen their involvement with and understanding and enjoyment of literature. (SR)

Reading is a strategic activity. Readings are intended to make something happen and keep something else from happening. One professor discusses her struggle to situate her readings of students papers in their projects and questions and respond as a teacher to inaudible student messages. (SM)

Presents brief descriptions of 36 children's books (published in 1999 and 2000), organized around the theme of the various ways readers respond to text and illustration. Presents the books in the following categories: questioning "who am I?"; interaction; interpreting the world; gaining insight; assuming responsibility; and taking action and…

Describes a study of elementary students' acquisition of vocabulary, comprehension of content area concepts in science and social studies, and ability to distinguish between fact and fiction in informational books read aloud by pre-service teachers in the classroom. Suggests appropriate uses and cautions considered when informational storybooks…

Offers five "images" (personal recollections) of reader response in the life of the author/educator. Suggests that while each image offers insight into the nature of response, each still supports the need for initial personal connections to the text whether the ultimate goal is motivating readers, enhancing reading ability, or creating…

Presents a literature cluster composed of stories about schools that are adaptable to readers' theater and appropriate for use with grades 3-6 students. Presents a synopsis of each text (a book of poetry, 2 nonfiction books, 6 novels and 2 picture books) along with suggestions for adapting and presenting them as readers' theater. Includes a brief…

Focuses on seven books (published in 2000 or 2001) which can help new and experienced teachers engage students in selecting quality literature, in thinking, questioning and dialoging in response to literature, and in exploring social justice through literature. (RS)

Explores the participation in reading-writing workshops of students who consider reading to be an important part of their lives. Finds students who are engaged readers of fiction bring a set of expectations that differ from their teachers' and from students who do not read regularly for pleasure. (NH)

Argues that instructional activities in teacher education programs can assist preservice teachers in identifying their beliefs. Identifies eight beliefs preservice teachers formulated about reading and literature following one part of a language arts education course in which they designed literature-based learning units. (NH)

Describes a modified method of reader-response used as a core activity in a literature classroom in which students write a short written response at the beginning of every class to the reading due that day. Describes the procedure, its relationship to effective writing, and its benefits, including reading more critically, writing more effectively,…

Examines non-goal oriented transactions with texts to investigate the information encounter in the context of daily living. Analyzes interview responses that illuminate two aspects of reading for pleasure: how readers choose these books; and books that have made a significant difference in readers' lives. Concludes with five themes emerging from…

Describes the various definitions, characteristics, and aims that educators and researchers have considered when promoting the use of multicultural literature in classrooms. Considers the kinds of knowledge and understanding that adolescent students attain when they read such literature. Proposes a different way of understanding the term…

In this article, the president of the National Association of Industrial and Technical Teacher Educators (NAITTE) responds to Charles Gagel's 2006 article recapping and comparing the 1993 and 2004 surveys of NAITTE membership. As they contemplate both of these surveys, she urges members to ask themselves a few questions: What are the…