Letting students as they read underline or highlight words they do not know allows teachers to find out the words their students do not know. This procedure also leaves a record of all the once unknown words for students to re-read later. It is an added advantage for teachers that it allows them to see how far into a book students have read, and…

This bibliography lists 106 items of children's literature suitable for use in a whole language classroom. The bibliography is divided into 15 sections, including alphabet books; rhythm, rhyme, and song; science and health; inventions and cures; mystery; fairy tales and folk tales; Native Americans; fun with language; math; friends; jokes and…

This digest deals with bibliotherapy, the practice of healing through books. The digest discusses whether bibliotherapy works, when it should be used, who should conduct it, and how it should be used. The digest concludes with five guidelines for conducting bibliotherapy. (RS)

Although whole language teachers say they no longer consider readability evaluation (in the sense of measuring word and sentence length) in the selection of literature for their classrooms, they do have criteria for matching the readers or prospective readers in their classroom to literary materials. Teachers in whole language classrooms see the…

Designed to assess the cognitive requirement expected or implied in beginning reading materials and in their instructional suggestions and to determine whether these materials are appropriate to the cognitive development of the children who will use them, this instrument is for use by evaluators with the first reader in a basal series. It directs…

This brochure presents ideas for creating a special place for a family's reading materials--a"family library"--and for helping children build their own personal collections. The brochure offers a sampling of activities that will help families display and keep track of a growing collection of newspapers, magazines, and books. The brochure…

A recent study on the free selection of library books for recreational silent reading periods focused on the difficulty of material chosen and on the relationship between the students' reading ability and the readability of a book. Three groups of 24 students completed an interest inventory form, and their reading ability, sex, and reading…

Noting that intermediate and junior high school students can be motivated to read if high quality, interesting literature is made available, this bibliography will provide teachers, librarians, and resource teachers with a list of books published since 1980 that can be used to assist students in selecting reading materials. The annotations include…

The importance of reading in curriculum for gifted students is emphasized in the digest which also examines reading curriculum strategies. Highly able readers are seen to have needs for specific assistance in developing more complex skills in choosing books and materials for particular purposes, and in applying learning to real-life problems.…

A study compared children's literature which was both popular with children and had received literary awards to those works which achieved only literary awards. Seventeen works of fiction were analyzed and categorized for themes, style, and structure. One adult and one child were interviewed for each work and asked questions about their opinion…

Contends that many supposedly factual nature stories either present animals in situations where they would not ordinarily be found or with phenomenal powers of reasoning and Christian ethics. (TO)

Cites numerous examples from "The Real Mother Goose" supporting the contention that many of the rhymes are sexist. (TO)