Observations of third- and fourth-grade classroom reading lessons revealed not only that text-related reading comprehension was seldom taught, but also that a coordinated or topically organized sequence of text reading instruction was rare. (FL)

Ideas are presented for the creation of various puppets which can be used to teach different topics in the elementary school classroom. A song and ideas for stages for puppet shows and a "puppet corner" are also included. (CJ)

Literature can: (1) humanize children; (2) educate the heart as well as the mind; (3) introduce children to new ideas; (4) develop their imagination; and (5) give them a sense of the just, the beautiful, and the true. Arguments in favor of basing school reading programs on good children's literature are given. (PP)

Concludes that an ongoing, onsite, supervised inservice program providing regular diagnostic feedback to teachers doubled the reading comprehension gain scores of low SES Black intermediate-grade students from a large urban school district as compared to the gains of students whose teachers did not participate in program. (FL)

Subjecting the comprehension passages of the Gates-McGinitie Reading Test to readability analysis using a multiformula computer program revealed that the instrument can best be used for making comparisons between groups using the same test forms and levels in the same sequence. (FL)

Argues that metacognitive training in students can help students to remediate comprehension difficulties, to more accurately guage their success as learners, and to view reading as a flexible, thought-provoking process of interaction with text. (HOD)

Reports the findings of a study indicating that reading aloud to Black first grade students in an inner city area expanded significantly their knowledge of specific topics. (FL)

Examines the effect of management and turn-allocation activities on students' reading performance during classroom lessons. Shows that the teacher was often oriented toward other class members while eliciting information during students' reading turns. (FL)

Six first- and second-grade teachers were observed while teaching their students how to read in order to examine the methods and rationale they employed for assistance during reading group instruction. (MP)

From the perspective of reading specialists, factors contributing to reading difficulties include visual and auditory limitations, instructional and environmental problems, and emotional difficulties. A hierarchy of word recognition skills is presented. The usefulness of diagnosing children learning disabled or dyslexic is examined in the context…

A teacher who once relied on a reading skills program describes her conversion to an approach that emphasizes the reading of books. A substantial part of each class period is set aside for free reading time. A sampling of book projects used to focus students' efforts is included. (PP)

In an interview with New Zealand instructor and author Don Holdaway, discusses the value of shared reading experiences with very young children. Examines children's early reading strategies and the use of extra large print in reading materials. (HTH)

Describes how elementary school teachers encouraged poor readers and writers by having them--and the whole class--keep journals on topics they knew more about than anyone else in the class and then read the entries aloud. Discusses a three-step process approach to writing instruction derived from this successful method. (HTH)

Examines material in the ERIC system related to research in the area of effective teaching behaviors. Suggests that the nature of early studies to this effect is responsible for the minimal impact of this research on classroom practices. (HTH)

Suggests methods for (1) teaching study skills to secondary handicapped students, (2) building a reading instruction resource room, and (3) demonstrating main ideas. Reports the results of a survey of school administrators' reading attitudes. (AEA)