This ERIC/RCS Special Collection contains 10 or more Digests (brief syntheses of the research on a specific topic in contemporary education) and FAST Bibs (Focused Access to Selected Topics--annotated bibliographies with selected entries from the ERIC database), providing up-to-date information in an accessible format. The collection focuses on…

A study evaluated attempts to meet college students' needs through procedures involving differential reading assignments, in a variety of textbooks, based on how students classified themselves on a simple instrument. Students were placed in one of four modular groups based upon their response to an exercise, given on the first day of class, which…

Based on a review of the research literature, this paper gives a rationale and guidelines for a sixth-grade literature-enriched reading program. The first part looks at social trends and alternative points of view with respect to the problem of those social trends. The second section presents the rationale and the literature review. The third…

A study examined the new editions of four of the best-selling reading programs along with workbooks of several different publishers of social studies, science, and language arts programs. An analysis was carried out of the types of tasks found in workbooks and the content of the tasks. Results indicated that the workbooks contain numerous and…

Written from a psycholinguistic perspective to assist teachers-in-training to prepare for reading instruction in grades one through eight, this book can clarify basic issues in reading as well as supplement current knowledge. The three major parts into which this book is divided examine reading in the "human context," the "teaching context," and…

A sizeable and convincing body of research continues to indicate that children gain competence and confidence in using the English language when it is situated within a context that is at once purposive and pleasurable. Both empirical and anecdotal evidence suggest that exposure to a wide variety of good children's literature provides an effective…

This special journal issue contains nine articles on the subject of using popular literature in the classroom. Subjects covered in the articles include (1) using vernacular supernatural literature to teach the skills of literary analysis, (2) teaching Agatha Christie's "Curtain," (3) pairing the classics with detective fiction, (4) using fantasy…

Guidelines and checklists for evaluating and selecting curriculum materials to be used in bilingual/multicultural education programs are presented in this handbook. The central concern is to be able to eliminate materials that contain various forms of racial and sex bias or encourage undesirable race and sex-role stereotyping. The guidelines and…

Defining self-concept as all the perceptions individuals have of themselves, this booklet examines research-based thinking concerning the relationships that exist between reading and self-concept and describes practical applications of these relationships so that teachers can use them in the classroom to improve self-concepts as well as reading…

The teaching activities presented in this pamphlet focus on storytelling. Beginning with a discussion of the purpose and rules of storytelling, it contains suggestions for selecting stories, lists story suggestions for various ages, and includes a brief annotated bibliography of recommended story collections. It explains learning and telling a…

Noting that major publishers have begun to depict a more balanced portrayal of ethnic story characters and content in their basal reading series, a study was conducted to investigate the extent to which stories depicting the three largest ethnic groups in the United States were contained in nine of the major and current basal reading series…

According to recent research data, a successful reading program in the middle school requires a change in educational emphasis from content (skill orientation) to a curriculum determined by the cognitive, moral, and social-emotional development of the child. Three developmental models that provide tools for educators in developing such a…

Designed for classes in children's literature in English and education departments and in library schools, the emphases in this book are on understanding children and their needs, on perspectives and background, on criteria and types of literature, and on artists and authors. The first part provides an overview of children's needs and interests,…

Offered as a guide to the teaching of reading and the development of reading skills, this publication provides information on assessment, teaching methods, and published resource materials and is directed to elementary school teachers and reading specialists. The ten chapters include information on the stages of reading, reading readiness, the…

Six articles concerning college reading instruction are presented in this special interest journal. Chester Tillman and A. Garr Cranney offer informal guidelines for evaluating commercially produced reading improvement materials in terms of their purpose, educational and psychological factors which affect appropriateness for a class, cost, and…