This article summarizes guidelines developed by the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services Early Childhood Research Institute for selecting and adapting materials for young children and their families. Recommendations are provided that community teams should consider in collecting, selecting, and reflecting on materials. Tips are also…

This article discusses multicultural children's literature, the need for teachers to include multicultural children's literature in their teaching, how teachers can encourage pluralism, and evaluating and selecting multicultural literature titles. A selection of 17 multicultural books for use in the classroom is provided. (Contains references.)…

Describes and compares four computerized reading incentive programs that quiz students on their reading comprehension of self-selected books and award points for their efforts. Topics include price, hardware requirements, reading level, training, and recommendations. (LRW)

Discusses the value of book fairs to encourage reading and offers suggestions for planning them. Considers sponsorship, location and timing, sources to get books from, how to select books, marketing, library programs connected with the fair, volunteers, and who receives the profits. (LRW)

As more and more reading programs make the move from the basal reading series to authentic text, teachers are asking the same question: How do I choose appropriate books for my class? Teachers of students who are deaf or hard of hearing are no exception. In this article, the author describes her use of Dr. Seuss books in early reading instruction.

This paper discusses techniques for selection of library materials in the subjects of exercise, sport and leisure. Details are shared about utilizing standard review sources, locating subject-specific publishers, searching indexes and abstracts as sources of reviews, and tapping into the work of professional organizations.

Character education has become the fastest growing school reform movement in the United States. Surveys conducted in the last few years indicate that Americans tend to place character (values) education as the highest priority in school restructuring programs, and there is nothing to suggest that the nation's concern is temporary. Teachers in the…

This case study of a struggling reader suggests that learning to read is not necessarily about using the right program, but rather about making the right connection. This case describes how Ashley, a child with special needs, came to literacy in her own way in the company of Barbara Park's fictional character, Junie B. Jones, a girl about her age…

RAuthor Rebecca Olness combines her love of children's literature and her experience as a classroom teacher and literacy specialist to show teachers that it is possible to teach both content and literacy concepts simultaneously. Chapters cover social studies, science, mathematics, and the arts. In these pages readers will find rationale and…

To promote student success, both in school and beyond, teachers must not only address academic skill development but also help their students become self-determined individuals. The importance of self-determination is implicit in special education legislation. Findings from postschool outcome studies also support the inclusion of…

Little research has focused on what factors undergraduate students consider when selecting books at academic libraries. In order to better understand student book choices at Niagara University Library, we chose 11 sets of two books with the same LC subject headings but with other differences and asked students to select one book over another.…

This article reports that curriculum experts see some slow but significant shifts in thinking regarding the role of literature in the K-12 curriculum. The article first discusses changes in elementary classrooms, such as the use of "real" literature in the form of trade books. Also considered is the call for new basal readers or content…

The purpose of this instructional resource is to provide guidelines for conducting literature discussion groups using a book club approach. The procedures and guidelines that are presented in the resource are the result of 4 years of research related to book clubs. The guidelines and procedures in the resource include information about the roles…

Concerns are being raised in both professional literature as well as in the popular press regarding certain aspects of the literature-based movement. A longitudinal study investigated a group of first-grade teachers who have been attempting (with varying degrees of success) to introduce literature-based teaching strategies into their classrooms.…

Making the job of encouraging adolescents to read for pleasure less of a challenge, this book presents an annotated list of 95 books chosen by adolescents themselves as part of an annual program sponsored by the International Reading Association. Entries in the book are grouped by type or genre of publication to make books of a particular interest…