If reading is understood as consisting of multiple kinds of thinking, then listening is one of the most important forms of mental action in which readers engage. Readers must hear sentences in order to make sense of nested syntactic relationships. They also must hear sounds that occur within the text in order to participate in its world, and they…

Many research questions require the assessment of reading in large samples of children. We compared two nonconventional procedures for early reading assessment: test administration by telephone, and teacher assessment. Five thousand five hundred and forty four children participating in a longitudinal twin study were assessed by telephone using the…

Applying literacy research in the classroom begins with understanding the meaning of scientifically based research and other "lab" terms. From the terminology through key questions to ask yourself when reading research reports, learn how to scrutinize studies to determine their validity--and how applicable they are for your school or district.…

Teachers at Woodlawn Middle School in Long Grove, Illinois are no different than most. They were discouraged by the amount of testing taking place in their classrooms, frustrated with not having the kind of data they needed, and feeling overwhelmed by the data they did have. The teachers wanted to make better schoolwide instructional decisions,…

Since the inauguration of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) in the United States, with a billion-dollar budget to induce educational reform, American schools have been under the microscope for meeting accountability standards for students. The performance pressures have intensified as the consequences for not achieving academic…

Scholars such as L. Calkins (1993), D. H. Graves (1978, 1984, 1990, 1994), and R. Routman (1991, 1996) hypothesized that teachers must be confident, avid readers and writers to be effective reading and writing teachers. Three questions guided a case study that examined this hypothesis among 4 fourth-grade teachers nominated as exemplary reading…

Prepared by teachers in a summer course, this handbook presents brief descriptions of various aspects of reading instruction and related lesson plans and class activities. Beginning with brief biographies of 5 leaders in reading education (both living and deceased), the handbook consists of sections that discuss reading readiness; word…

In 1985, the Michigan State Board of Education revised state policy for reading instruction. The old definition of reading instruction concentrated on skills; the new one highlighted both the readers' role in constructing the meaning of text and the impact of reading experience on readers' textual interpretations. The new ideas for reading…

This article traces the development in Britain of the 'real' book approach to children learning to read. It begins with reference to Kenneth Goodman's seminal work in psycholinguistics published in the late 1960s. It goes on to draw on the work of Margaret Meek at the London Institute of Education and Liz Waterland, a teacher in an English primary…

Good teachers of reading should ask questions which link the research knowledge base in reading, effective teaching, and learning with proficient decision-making skills. These questions should focus on the content to be taught, the behaviors of the student, and the behaviors of the teacher. Content questions address central concepts, prior…

This yearbook contains papers which relate to issues in administering, supervising, researching, teaching, implementing, assessing, and strengthening programs and approaches in reading. The 22 papers and their authors are as follows: "Reading in Early America" (Ruskin Teeter); "Looking Back for the Future: Amish Literacy and Its…

An analysis of the literature helps bring greater clarity to educators concerning the theory and practice of literature-based instruction. There are two common threads in all the interpretations of literature-based instruction: (1) the use of literature as the primary material for reading instruction; and (2) the elimination of the structural…

The purpose of the computerized Reading Program Management System is to assist reading specialists of the District Heights Elementary School (Maryland) to perform four specific reading program tasks: placement, grouping, monitoring, and materials supply. The system uses a general purpose, commercial data management software package called DB…

What reading consultants do varies considerably from person to person as there is variability in the role each reading consultant perceives as his or her responsibility. To assist reading consultants in prioritizing their roles to meet their constituents' needs, 113 elementary teachers enrolled in graduate reading classes at the University of…

Unlike trends in reading and writing instruction which are shortlived, such as speed reading, performance contracting, and the i.t.a. (initial teaching alphabet), certain influences exist which contribute to lasting improvements in reading and writing. Several factors can help to distinguish trends from the more permanent influences on education.…