Use storybook reading to build the early literacy competencies that preschool, kindergarten, and first-grade students need to become successful readers and learners. This essential research-based guide provides strategies and sample interactions that will help teachers to strengthen children's knowledge of written language, vocabulary, phonology,…

Collected in this book are 27 accounts of men, women, and children from the northern and southern United States who lived, fought, and survived the U.S. Civil War. The book leads students on a journey through the Civil War era, offering a well-rounded understanding of this four year period. All characters in the book are real, and the stories are…

Much has been written about the crucial nature of early literacy experiences in learning to read. Many types of story reading interactions could have an effect on the development of reading literacy. A study explored the kind of social interactions that foster children's individual development toward independent functioning, especially addressing…

Discusses children's literature in terms of (1) children's responses to it, (2) its literary tradition, and (3) its benefits to children and adults. (VJ)

The effects of three modes of story reconstruction training on the development of children's story comprehension are examined. One hundred and eight children in grades K-2 were assigned randomly to one of three training conditions: thematic-fantasy play, adult-lead discussion, or drawing. (Author/PN)

Reports results of measuring children's comprehension of basal reader stories that had been revised based on notions of the role of prior knowledge in comprehension and the establishment of key story content. (AEA)

Discusses the value of the mystery story in the language class as a source for a variety of exercises and assignments in which students can use grammatical constructions in a natural context. (CFM)

Suggests that giving non-English speaking children positive experiences with literature may help them want to learn to read. Includes an annotated bibliography. (MKM)

Argues that observations of how children construct literacy and their responses to print-filled environments will help child care providers and families be better prepared to support children's emergent literacy. Provides advice on literacy development, supporting emergent literacy, developing positive attitudes toward reading, and developing…

Optimal classroom read-aloud sessions result from teachers' planning and practice. Important considerations include choosing the right book, prereading, reading dramatically, and choosing authors who have written several books. Books that are sure to go over well include those that let the students get involved, stories that start discussions, and…

Examined relationship of maternal mediation in joint writing and of storybook reading with emergent literacy among low-SES kindergartners. Found that after partialling out home environment measures and storybook reading, maternal writing mediation explained added variance for children's word writing/recognition and phonological awareness.…

Investigated the connection between Korean children's participation in an interactive book reading program and their development of pragmatic competence in English. Found that participation led to significant changes over a 4-month period in the mean number of words, utterances, and talk management features as measured by the changes in children's…

This study analyzed storybook reading sessions involving a mother and her three-year-old twin daughters, one of whom was deaf. The mother asked the hearing twin almost twice as many questions as she asked of the deaf twin, and asked the hearing twin primarily conventional test questions, but she asked the deaf twin more gestural questions.…

Encourages the use of storytelling in the classroom as a method for developing verbal, written, and reading skills, as well as non-verbal communication skills. Offers guidelines and specific activities for involving students in storytelling. (RAE)