Focusing on reading aloud in the classroom, this monograph demonstrates ways to integrate read alouds into an ongoing whole-language program in which children learn to reflect on literature by listening and responding to it. The monograph identifies and describes specific teaching strategies that invite students not only to listen to stories,…

Designed to accompany reading of children's books from all genres, this book helps teachers meet the challenge of selecting the best literature for children. It trains future teachers to make judgments about what constitutes quality children's literature and thoroughly discusses the nature of and genres within children's literature. Taking readers…

A study examined parent decisions prior to and during reading aloud events with their first-grade children. Subjects were the parents of 342 first-graders in a suburban public elementary school district. Multiple methods of data collection were used, including surveys, diaries, interviews, videotapes, and stimulated recalls. Based on an analysis…

This pamphlet is designed to help parents help their children make the short but important step from language play to loving writing. The pamphlet discusses ways to: encourage children's curiosity and imaginative play; make reading an important part of family life; and respect children's interests in writing and reading. It also suggests…

A study examined the effects of less able readers' learning vocabulary from listening. Subjects, 43 sixth-grade students in two classes in an urban public school, were read one of two selections from seventh-grade literature anthologies. Two days later, the subjects completed orally or in writing a multiple-choice vocabulary test containing words…

A study was conducted to determine if pregnant women read to their unborn child. A randomly selected sample of 47 pregnant women in the Toms River, New Jersey area between the ages of 20 and 35, visiting their obstetricians' offices for monthly checkups were chosen for the study. A questionnaire was administered to mothers in the waiting room…

For the purpose of examining the relationship between preschool children's level of literacy development and the contextualization of story content to the children's world knowledge, a study was conducted investigating how parents of high and low print aware children contextualize stories for them in terms of their prior knowledge. The study…

The use of children's literature in the classroom can greatly enhance the core curriculum by supporting children's cognition, language, personality, social, aesthetic, and creative development. Preservice teachers often have difficulty conceptualizing a style of literature presentation that will provide optimum learning-stimulation, however, and…

This annotated bibliography, published to assist teachers, librarians, and parents in finding quality reading materials, presents books for reading aloud to students or children in grades 4-8. Each of the 140 entries, listed alphabetically by author, provides the author's name, title, publisher, sequels or related books, a brief annotation about…

This article describes a 10-step process for bookwebbing, a method of using a storybook for instruction in a variety of curriculum areas. The process, which is recommended to be used in cooperation with another teacher, is as follows: (1) choose a book which can apply to many curriculum areas; (2) read the whole book; (3) read it again in two or…

A study investigated whether the interrelatedness of parents' storybook reading to children and their developing competence in oral and written language carried over into out-of-home care. Subjects, about 40 children ranging in age from 18 to 36 months in 4 representative daycare centers and their 4 adult teachers, were observed during planned…

This manual was developed by the staff of the Read Aloud Programs for the Elderly of the Seattle Public Library. It is based on a year's experience of conducting read-aloud programs in nursing homes and is meant to be a guide for setting up similar programs in other library systems. The first half of the manual, addressed to program managers,…

The concept of inertia--the property by which a body in motion tends to remain in motion, and a body at rest tends to remain at rest--is analogous to a situation that occurs in reading. Some students, despite being able to read, choose not to read when other options are available. In terms of inertia, these students are at rest and tend to remain…

Compiled from the reading lists of 60 exemplary schools, this "summertime" reading list provides titles of tried-and-true works published in or before 1960 which appeared on at least five of the school reading lists. Selections are divided according to grade level. The list offers over 100 book or series of titles recommended for…

The two terms reading problems and learning disabilities are not synonymous. Nevertheless, an increasing number of children who have reading problems are being labeled as learning disabled. Given the growing numbers of children failing to become competent readers, the fact that more and more of these children are being identified and treated as…