Suggests that common sense be applied when calculating text readability using a microcomputer. (CRH)

Addresses the problem of the scarcity of instructional materials for teaching Italian and contemporary Italian culture to beginning college students. Looks at current practices and materials. Argues the need for preassessing cultural content of structural materials and suggests some criteria for devising supplementary cultural materials, along…

Suggests that teachers of reading would do well to look at the books in use in their classrooms and ask if they really do help present the acts of reading and writing as being varied, important, and enjoyable. (HOD)

Describes reading material that can be used to acquaint elementary school readers with technology and to stimulate their interest in it. (CRH)

Children can explore future concepts through literature. A selection of books is listed that offers information on the brain, conservation, cloning, space technology, and nuclear energy. (DF)

Provides a guide for evaluating the appropriateness of material for use with gifted students by summarizing research findings into a profile of the gifted reader. (AEA)

Presents an annotated bibliography of the 20 books found to be most popular in an annual survey of high school students' reading choices. (MM)

Notes that intermediate grade students who still have difficulty understanding implied messages in print have a limited time for learning the skill. Suggests that the traditional teaching method of questioning about a passage is ineffective, and proposes a direct instruction method for use in a variety of situations. Recommends materials that…

This book offers readers both a glimpse into the world of children's nonfiction and practical tips on teaching these texts in the classroom. The book looks at the first 10 years of the National Council of Teachers of English's award for excellence in children's nonfiction. In the first section of the book, Orbis Pictus Awards Committee members…

Suggesting there are ways to make reading and writing more attractive to middle school students, this booklet offers strategies for parents to use to help their students keep reading. Sections of the booklet are: "Why Should I Encourage My Middle School Student To Read for Fun?"; "'You Don't Care What I Like': Listening, Talking,…

A teacher had always allowed 20 minutes for silent reading in her classroom. But when she looked at her Year 3/4 composite class, she noticed that although some students were reading, some were not. She decided to explore why they might not be reading. She focused on three students--a boy with severe learning difficulties and an auditory…

The "Harry Potter" series has become a phenomenal success with children. "Harry Potter" books in print worldwide is in excess of 116 million, and they have been translated into 47 languages. What might account for this huge popularity? While the characters and events are certainly engaging, funny, original, and creative, they…

The purpose of this book is to be a practical tool for those who work with children in grades 4-6 and who wish to make an equitable literature curriculum part of the school-centered reading experiences of the children with whom they work, as well as introduce literature of diversity into their own reading. It is especially meant to provide a…

Students' book choices and discussions during independent reading were studied in a combined fifth/sixth grade classroom. The meanings students and the teacher gave to the practice of independent, "free-choice" reading were studied, and the influences that shaped students' choices of books were explored. Independent reading is actually social in…

Suggesting that the general bias among librarians against fantasy literature can be overcome, this book hopes to convey the magic found in fantasy literature to children and adolescents through their teachers and librarians. It provides some basic definitions of fantasy; presents commentary on issues that have caused some to find fantasy…