Notes that instruction in the dramatic arts can encourage lasting aesthetic awareness and improved communicative abilities, and presents descriptions of four articles about youth drama from the ERIC database. (JC)

Repetitive shared book experiences used with a rural, racially mixed 1983-84 kindergarten population (N=228) were found to enhance literacy awareness and competence, improve preparation for formal first grade, and broaden children's literacy interests when compared to a control group of the 1982-83 kindergarten population (N=269). (DR)

Makes the observation that the attempt of the child to make sense of the world is not necessarily guided by traditional literary structures but by expressive tactics influenced, in large part, by what the child is thinking and struggling with at the moment. (HOD)

This article presents the third study of a series that has been designed to manifest consciousness and to measure developed competence. The emphasis of the main hypothesis of this experiment has been put on the students ability to adapt to the main idea of a given story and to express his comprehension verbally. The way the two students of the…

This book focuses on how to make math friendly for parents and children. The book has a companion audiotape with ideas and guidelines for the interested parent. The book's introduction also suggests some ways for parents to guide their children's reading. Part 1 of the book consists of three "Read-along Stories": "Turkey…

Two experiments were conducted to examine the role of frameworks in children's memory for sex-related story information. Children displayed superior memory for sex-stereotypic content regardless of whether information was congruent or incongruent with societal sex role stereotypes. Results confirmed that frameworks affected encoding more than…

Suggests that videotapes of the teacher reading provides an easy independent activity for young children and also introduces them to many different types of story structures. (Author/FL)

In this study of second and fifth graders, story relevant pictures and subject generated images were presented to determine the kind of story information likely to be enhanced by real and imagined pictures. Results indicate that central and peripheral information was facilitated by visual illustrations, primarily the former. (JEG)

Presents a reading package which includes steps to motivate wider reading interests, a list of best new books, and guidelines for organizing a school bookstore. (RH)

Recalls the hostile reception given to the Nippers series a decade ago. (Editor)

Offers 46 brief annotations of recent children's books, many of which are excellent models for stories that children might develop. Groups books into story collections, stories about us, life stories, too-good-to-miss stories, nature's stories, stories that inform, story sequels, and story retellings. (SR)

Day care providers can develop emergent literacy in preschool children by using enlarged versions of books, discussing the books before reading, tracking the printed text while reading, using questioning techniques to illustrate meaning, discussing the stories after reading them, and enlisting parent involvement. (SH)

Describes a language task in which the instructor prepares a story in the target language that has as many sentences as students in the class. The story is then cut into sentence-long strips, with each student memorizing their sentence and working with fellow students to reassemble the story orally using only the target language. (MDM)

Two experiments involving 80 4-year olds were conducted to assess how children who differ in vocabulary knowledge learn new vocabulary incidentally from listening to stories read aloud. Results clarify the role of active responding by demonstrating that verbal and nonverbal responses enhance vocabulary acquisition. (SLD)