Defines "balance" as a philosophical perspective about what kinds of reading knowledge children should develop and how those kinds of knowledge can be attained--rather than as one right approach to teaching. Outlines a set of philosophical beliefs and guiding principles for organizing a classroom reading program. Discusses benefits of…

Discusses what oral reading fluency is and why it is important. Describes rate, recognition, and phrasing, three important aspects of fluent oral reading. Examines some methods for developing fluency including modeling, repeated reading, paired oral reading, the Oral Recitation Lesson, and choral reading. (SR)

Discusses the use of the Lexile Framework(R) in several areas. Lexiles have been established for various job groups, and they may serve as an indication of reading ability for a given job. The uses of lexiles in school and in reading education are discussed, as is the achievement of Lexile reading abilities as indicators of probable income. (SLD)

About 30% of U.S. students leave primary grades without basic reading competence and cannot fully profit from secondary education. A San Diego high school developed a multidimensional reading course that stresses building vocabulary through natural language and reading, reading at school and at home, listening to teachers read, practicing phonetic…

This article presents strategies for creating elementary-level guided reading groups that are both flexible (based on individual students' needs) and purposeful (offering strategies for making them more effective readers). The article also explains how to set up a guided reading group, choose appropriate books, and run the group. (SM)

Techniques used by a college teacher of developmental English include discussing reading as an experience, developing students' observation skills, having students read work aloud and illustrate their work, and producing a book of students' writings. (SK)

Introduces a special section of this journal devoted to discussing the implications for secondary schools of understanding reading comprehension as a social act. Argues that, to be effective, comprehension instruction in middle and secondary classrooms must accommodate the particular influences of particular sociohistorical contexts on reading…

Explores the role of vocabulary in reading development and suggests some classroom-tested approaches for nurturing students' vocabulary development and interest. Discusses vocabulary growth, vocabulary and concept development, and active processing of vocabulary. Discusses applications and examples of active-process vocabulary instruction,…

Presents the 1998 list of 27 topics that are currently "hot" and "not hot" in the field of reading instruction. Describes the rationale for and nature of the choices, and discusses the nature and significance of the ratings given by "literacy leaders" to these 27 issues. Offers references from both the professional literature and the popular…

Focuses on the depth of learning that happens when classroom teachers employ text sets for thematic teaching. Investigates how beginning a text set with a nonfiction and a fiction pair might offer a strong contrast that invites readers to read critically and consider alternate perspectives on a given subject. (SG)

Suggests that just as violence on television is hypothesized to increase real-life violence, television romance can likely affect views of real-life romance. Hypothesizes that literature could undo television's mistakes and bridge the gap between real love and fantasy love. (SG)

Describes the work of Donald D. Durrell in reading research from the 1930s to the 1960s, explaining the theoretical base of his work (articles, texts, and monographs that he published over the years) and examining the research process at the Boston University School of Education (which focuses on primary and intermediate grades). (SM)

Presents a collection of tributes to Donald D. Durrell, a long-time reading research leader at Boston University, by his former students who considered him a mentor and a friend. (SM)

Draws on the Teachers Learning Collaborative (a network of three teacher study groups across southeastern Michigan) to illustrate the potential of teacher research for informing the field, as well as to demonstrate a particular model within which such research can be accomplished. (SG)

Presents an analysis of teacher research studies that illustrates the variety of choices teachers make in exploring questions within their own classrooms. Concludes with a representation of an array of possibilities from which teacher researchers might choose or use to guide them as they select or invent their own methodological solutions within…