The article gives a step-by-step procedure for vocational teachers to follow in determining the appropriateness of the reading level of specific instructional materials to their students' reading skills. An example is given of the procedure applied to "The Stockman's Handbook." (AJ)

A research project undertaken in York, Ontario, Canada aimed to raise literacy standards in the primary division and to ensure that all children in Grade 1 read to the Grade 1 standard (as determined by Reading Recovery levels, the school board, and the Ontario Ministry of Education). Focus was placed on acquiring high quality leveled literature…

To a young child just learning to read, the world of books and stories is like a big playground waiting to be explored. Children between the ages of four and six usually start to recognize some words on a page. There are many things parents can do to help their children grow as readers. Parents can support their child's reading by being patient,…

This resource guide is intended to help teachers and librarians integrate the best of a broad range of children's literature into the excitement of everyday learning. The guide contains annotations for contemporary children's books, videos, CD-ROMs and related media, as well as presenting inventive ideas for exploring them. An introduction…

Important reasons exist for differences among the various genres in children's literature, related to the emotional and intellectual development of the reader. The themes presented in good children's fiction are always the same ones, no matter what the age: the need for love, the importance of close attachments, the fear of abandonment and…

A resource for finding appropriate works of adolescent literature and, when necessary, defending them against challenges, this book presents the recommendations of 25 educators concerning novels, nonfiction works, and short story collections that adolescents enjoy. Contributors provide synopses, sample excerpts, and brief author biographies, along…

This comprehensive guide includes background and publication information about picture books for children and adolescents by Latino authors, summaries of titles and bibliographical information on the authors, illustrators, and translators. The picture books suggested in the guide cover a variety of different subjects, including families, holidays,…

This paper discusses the importance of reading aloud to students. It emphasizes the teacher's need to plan carefully when to read and what books to read. The paper suggests the following ideas should guide a teacher's choice of reading material: whether the story will capture students' attention; whether the story will increase students'…

At-risk students and their nondisabled peers profit from opportunities to make choices about their literacy learning. While not a panacea, experiencing self-determination in school empowers students in ways that will last a lifetime. Literacy educators can encourage a positive momentum in this direction by demonstrating how to select reading…

To update the California State Department of Education's recommended list of books for children ages two through seven (most books on the present list were published before 1990), this annotated bibliography reviewed current books recommended by the National Council of Teachers of English, the International Reading Association, and literature…

Beginning with a history of young adult literature and ending with a history of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) "Books for You" booklist project, this fourteenth edition collection offers high school students, teachers, and librarians a comprehensive annotated list of more than a thousand books published between 1997…

An important type of reading for elementary age pupils is to read poetry. Pupils need to experience reading and writing different kinds and forms of poetry. There are rich meanings and messages in poetry. The novel use of words adds to the learning repertoire of pupils. There should be poems for pupils to read that deal with diverse topics and…

At Bank Street College of Education, the Children's Book Committee annually reviews approximately 3,000 books to select the 600 or so considered the best books for children published that year. In selecting books, high priority is given to a book's appropriateness to a child's stage of emotional, social, and cognitive development. Since individual…

This book provides K-8 teachers with an introductory resource on folk tales. The book acknowledges that teachers are often very interested in folk tales but lack the time to research them. Each chapter contains some background information on a story type or a character. The book's six chapters are as follows: (1) "The Folk Tale Tradition"; (2)…

In today's schools, the additional time demanded by administrators and parents for literacy instruction of school beginners has almost eliminated content area instruction in science and social studies and has reduced instruction in math. This paper shows how to present such instruction in content areas to emergent readers without sacrificing…