Describes the Junior Great Books program used by many Catholic schools to improve reading and critical thinking skills, as well as stir students' interest in reading. Explains the shared inquiry method of learning utilized to stimulate discussion about excellent literature. Offers examples of the ways in which the program operates at six different…

This article reviews communicative competence in the forensic context of child abuse cases. It examines adult questioners' competence in terms of the form, content, and pragmatics of questions; time and number concepts; and physical appearance and kinship terminology. It examines child respondents' competence in terms of comprehension, cognition,…

In response to a paper by P. Yoder (EC 220 946) that examined relationships between maternal questions and language-disordered children's later usage of auxiliary and copula verbs, this letter argues that Yoder's results were influenced by the analytical procedures used and that a reanalysis suggests a slightly different set of relationships among…

Provides an overview of ways that various forms of talk and dialogue foster the development of classroom communities. Examines the ways that talk functions in the classroom and what teachers might do to make use of talk in facilitating a child's development as a reader. (SR)

Addresses the question of improving students' literal comprehension in reading by asking inferential and evaluative level question exclusively. Finds that teachers can teach literal comprehension skills more effectively by simply focusing instruction on higher cognitive levels. (MG)

Reflective questioning creates opportunities for individuals to reflect aloud, be heard by one or more colleagues, and be prompted to expand and extend thinking through follow-up questions. The article examines the origin of reflective questioning, explains how to develop reflective questioning skills, and discusses outcomes associated with…

Compares students in active comprehension and teacher-posed question groups. Finds no difference between groups in the number of target books borrowed but significant differences in the type of comments students made as well as the length of their responses when they were asked how they liked the special reading class. (SR)

Describes a teaching strategy, used in a high school physics class, based on a series of "what if" questions. (PR)

Examines writing conferences (between teacher and student, and between two students) in one fourth-grade classroom to see how the students engaged in sophisticated talk about writing, as they consistently assumed the roles of critical but curious readers capable of telling their peers when they were confused about a piece of writing or how they…

Stresses the importance of teaching students to be good consumers of research problems and questions. Contends that students must be able not only to appreciate the questions that others ask, but also to produce research and research questions on their own. Provides activities that help promote both good consumers and producers. (CMK)

This study compared effects of two styles of storybook reading on the interpretations of two preschool children experiencing delayed language development. One used expansions and cloze procedures; the other provided questions and modeling of appropriate answers. Children produced more answers to questions, more interpretations, and more complex…

Recounts use of effective questioning techniques to help a talented Year 1 (aged 6) Australian child to "take another person's point of view" when thinking about a well-known folk tale, "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." (DB)

Discusses the use of children's literature to teach antibias education to young children and why literature is an effective technique. Provides a list of antibias activities, ideas on teaching children to respond positively to literature, suggestions for dealing with negativity, and discussion questions. Includes a bibliography. (CMK)

Through the use of a question notebook, students can practice grammar and develop their vocabulary. This class activity also helps students to begin to write and express their own curiosity. (Author/CK)

Provides quotes from people, both young and old, on the important issues that will be faced in the next century, ranging from the welfare of children to the eroding ideology of the United States. Includes five discussion questions based on these quotes. (CMK)