This two-part paper emphasizes the importance of language enrichment and active listening skills as a basis for reading pleasure. While acknowledging the need for developing fundamental decoding skills, the first section advocates that adults read aloud to children from books reflecting the adult's reading interests, containing creative language,…

Provides guidelines for using action (pop-up) books of rhymes and tales to help children develop prereading skills and a sense of story structure. (AEW)

Five Cambodian mothers (whose primary grade children attended a regular New Zealand school) were introduced to a Shared Reading procedure to help them learn to read, in parallel with their children. All children showed increased reading progress, as did three of the mothers. (Author/CB)

Examines six major preconditions for literacy that are rooted in the home environment and discusses some of the implications of this home literacy environment for schools. (Author/PCB)

Relays the observations of a researcher who visited a "culturally disadvantaged" child in her home. Describes how the child's interest in print was nurtured by her teacher, her mother, and the stories that they read to her. (ARH)

Offers techniques teachers can use to incorporate questioning into reading instruction. (FL)

Describes a course in which a modified version of the Whimbey technique was used to teach verbal reasoning and vocabulary skills to minority high school students. (DF)

Describes a project in which underprepared college freshmen in a basic skills English class heard materials read aloud while they followed along in the text. Concludes that the students made gains in writing skills but not in reading. (FL)

Examines research on effects of reading aloud to children in areas of reading and listening comprehension, vocabulary and language development, and attitudes toward reading. Outcomes of reading aloud and results of teacher survey concerning ways in which the school library media specialist can contribute to read-aloud programs are discussed.…

This booklet suggests that parents read with their elementary-age child, allowing the child to participate in the reading. The booklet also shows how to make the home a reader-friendly environment, initiate writing activities with a child, and make family trips to the library. Sections of the booklet are: "Read to Your Child"; "The…

This report describes a program implemented to improve attitudes toward recreational reading. The targeted population consisted of kindergarten, first, third, and fifth grade students from one urban and two suburban school districts in a major metropolitan area in northern Illinois. Evidence for the existence of the problem included surveys of…

Students in the targeted school exhibited a decline in reading scores between second and fourth grade. Due to poor reading levels for 2 consecutive years the state put the school on a probationary list with in its district. Evidence for the existence of the problem included documented low reading test scores, below proficiency assessment records,…

Suggesting that every child has the right to know first-hand the power and possibility that comes from being a literate individual, this textbook offers prekindergarten through primary education preservice teachers the opportunity to participate in the thinking and decision making that face teachers of young children. Selected theoretical…

This book is part of a series that helps parents choose books for their children and talk with them about books in ways that actively engage children with the meaning on the printed page. The introduction notes that it is important for parents to continue sharing books with their children at this age (12 to 14 years). The first chapter, "Reading…

If, ideally, reading begins at home, with children listening eagerly to interesting stories, then this experience must be duplicated in the classroom for reluctant readers. Listening to good stories can motivate students to develop reading skills. Activities of the Reading Center (Auckland, New Zealand) are described. (PP)