Discusses how beginning readers respond to familiar and unfamiliar stories. States that children begin as inventive readers, using different strategies--such as naming, counting, or structuring--to "read" the text. (MM)

Examines the construct, appropriateness and appeal of natural science action books. Defines them as books with movable three-dimensional parts which illuminate scientific concepts as well as add immeasurably to children's pleasure of learning about the natural world. Stresses integral nature of motivational/instructional materials in children's…

Summarizes the benefits and limitations of the use of story grammars in the elementary reading classroom. Provides suggestions for implementation in the classroom. (ARH)

Explains the difference between a reading aloud to children program designed to motivate children to read, and a developmental listening program which provides a focus for listening in a whole language environment and requires response and evaluation. (SD)

Explores responses to fiction reading by students who record these responses in journals. (NKA)

Concludes that young children of varying abilities, given an opportunity to experience reading as a visual and a thought process, take a more active role in their own learning. (FL)

Describes an action research project in which primary school teachers helped their minority group students attend to the cohesive elements of texts as well as the conceptual context. (FL)

Confirms that able readers have a more well-rounded sense of story structure than disabled readers. Specifically, that able readers demonstrated an ability to tell more elaborate stories than disabled readers. (FL)

Shows that "Slicing the task"--reducing the amount of print a student has to read at a given time by inserting questions into the text--may be effective with good readers but not for poor readers. (FL)

Discusses the effects of the grading standards of the National Criteria on Reading and stresses the importance of teaching children to enjoy reading and to appreciate literature. (DF)

The use of literature circles has been discussed in a variety of academic journals, conference papers, and workshops. Teachers at all grade levels use literature circles as a vehicle through which students learn to: think critically about literature; express their thoughts in oral and written forms; and better enjoy their literacy experiences.…

This book is designed to help teachers choose literature and create instructional materials for use with elementary and middle school students. The book offers teachers a number of instructional ideas to work with and to introduce them to children's texts that should be welcome in the classroom--some of this literature will be familiar to…

Based on Mary Shelley's novel "Frankenstein," this lesson plan presents activities designed to help students understand that active readers interpret a novel (its characters, plot, setting, and theme) in different ways; and the great literature can be and has been adapted in many ways over time. The main activity of the lesson involves students…

Noting that the realities of globalization are changing what as well as how and when students learn, this publication focuses on the bridge to higher academic achievement in writing through the use of technology. The information in the booklet is a foundation for improving teaching and learning of writing in the context of the Digital Age.…

This paper examines the efficacy of content-general reading tests used to place students into development courses. It argues that the discipline-generic model of comprehension supporting content-general reading tests is challenged by conclusions emerging from studies of schema theory, construction-integration theory, domain-knowledge theory, and…