Everyone knows how important it is to read to young children--but it is the "quality" of shared reading that really affects emergent literacy. How well are adults engaging and teaching children as they read together? How well are children listening and responding? The first and only tool to measure the quality of adult and child interactions…

In this study I investigated the effectiveness of a kindergarten vocabulary intervention, developed based on previous research on characteristics of effective vocabulary intervention through storybook read-alouds, in 5 kindergarten classrooms. Among these classrooms were 3 mainstream, 1 two-way bilingual, and 1 structured immersion classroom. The…

Although most children seem to love music, our understanding of the role it plays in facilitating speech and language learning is limited, as is research validating its efficacy in the clinical setting. The purpose of this study was to examine how singing affects children's quick incidental learning (QUIL) of novel vocabulary terms. Sixteen…

Story length and plausibility were varied to see whether these factors significantly affect children's ability to monitor their comprehension. A total of 19 third graders and 25 sixth graders were individually read four stories in a counterbalanced order. Each story had one of the following sets of characteristics: long, low plausibility; short,…

The manner in which story reading time is enacted by a specific mother and child was investigated. Data were tape recorded story reading sessions between a mother and her three-year-old son over a nine-month period. Forty sessions were recorded from which six were selected for analysis. Analysis centered on how stories were presented to the child,…

A study was designed to discover whether readers use simple story grammar categories (setting, beginning, development, and conclusion) to organize the propositions of a story. Nineteen proficient readers were given a list of randomly ordered propositions that made up a simple story structure. Each reader was instructed to group the propositions…

A complete analysis of a story's structure must rely on more than a simple grammar of story components; it requires a consideration of the characters' plans as they are stated or implied in the story. Furthermore, these plans are recognized as the characters' beliefs, and beliefs about interactions among plans are crucial determinants of a story's…

Bibliotherapy, identifying with a storybook character, is one of the best ways for a child to gain insight into himself and to have a better understanding of himself and others. To begin this technique, it is necessary for the teacher to become well-acquainted with children's books so that he may be able to give capsule summaries of appropriate…

Argues that children learn that story worlds are orders of reality distanced from immediate experience and recognize that a story is "only a story." (AA)

Comprehension and interest were high when children read stories where nontraditional sex role behavior was perceived to be appropriate to the action of the story. (MKM)

Instructional materials for beginning readers are usually highly structured stories; as the story emerges and fulfills their expectations about what a story should be, it confirms their sense that their reading has been successful. (JD)

The extent of a child's sense of how story should progress logically from beginning to end helps him to gain fluency and pleasure in reading. (JD)

Describes how Dr. Seuss's word play in his children's books can increase childrens' enjoyment of reading. (MKM)

Relieve oral reading tension--fast. Try this tested remedy. (Editor)

Older and younger students take turns writing creatively and collaborate on building skills and friendships. (Editor)