Libraries serve our nation and its citizens in two primary ways: by preserving our common culture, and by nurturing and sustaining democracy itself. A particular democratic function of libraries is fostering reading. As noted in two reports recently issued by the U.S. Department of Education, "What Works" and "First Lessons," it is imperative to…

A study used schema theory as a basis for developing an instrument to evaluate reading software. The instrument was designed to assess software used in English-as-a-second-language (ESL) reading instruction. Evaluation criteria and questions were developed to address the programs' interactive capabilities (flexibility, response to student errors,…

Reading can and should be a more widely used foreign language skill, and visual literacy in a foreign language goes beyond comprehension of basal reading materials. Authentic, real-life reading need not wait for foreign language mastery, but can begin at an early level if materials geared to the students' prior knowledge and interest are chosen.…

Censorship efforts are taking place throughout the country in spite of greater activism among anticensorship forces. One of the alarming trends is that many of the censors are now attacking the curriculum of the schools, challenging textbooks in reading, literature, history, science, health, and social studies. The International Reading…

Focusing on content area reading in elementary education, this annotated bibliography contains references to 29 articles and papers in the ERIC database, dating from 1987 to 1989. The citations include articles discussing content area reading research, reading material selection, and teaching strategies for content area reading at the elementary…

The articles in this journal issue focus on the use of poetry for study in classrooms at all levels. Titles and authors of the articles include (1) "Summoning the Poem: Several Roads to Xanadu" by Ben F. Nelms; (2) "ABC's of Reading and Writing Poetry in Junior High" by Barbara Arnold; (3) "Invitations" by Elizabeth D. Nelms; (4) "Teaching Poetry…

Three young adult novels published in 1983 or 1984 that are worthy of a place in the literature curriculum are discussed. These books have a special appeal to adolescents, deal with problems students might encounter growing up, expand their self-awareness and their experiences, and are teachable. They contain balanced, recognizable, and…

An inventory test, simply constructed of book jackets, given at the beginning of a school year, may aid the teacher in determining the reading interests of children. (JH)

Presents the judges' guidelines and their evaluation of three of the books selected for the 1972 Children's Book Showcase. (TO)

Discusses several sources that deal with the affective development of children via reading and literature. (TO)

This manual is intended for groups who wish to establish reading motivation programs on the local level. The organization and operation of the program are outlined in detail, as are the program standards and the steps necessary to qualify for federal funds. Sections in the manual cover the following topics: building an organization, raising funds,…

This textbook is third in a series of readers and has unique provision made for silent reading. A distinctive feature of this Reader is the unique provision made for Silent Reading. As in the "Child-Library Primer" and "Book One," (ED623655) the stories have been selected for their child-interest and wholesome ethical content.…

A recent study found that "mentioning," or saying just enough about a topic to allow for an assignment related to it, had supplanted instruction in reading comprehension in grades three through six. As a replacement to "mentioning," a "preteaching" unit has been developed that concentrates on development of textbook…

To establish criteria for the selection of appropriate reading materials for adult beginning readers, a study was conducted to determine such readers' instructional level and ability to answer literal and higher level questions in three types of materials: narrative, familiar content, and unfamiliar content. Twenty-one adult learners reading at…