Answers questions most frequently asked about the cloze procedure; suggests using cloze exercises to gauge the suitability of reading materials, showing how the technique taps meaning derived from text and indexes both textual reading difficulty and students' comprehension ability. (AEA)

The problem of deficient and inaccurate teaching materials is identified and documented--a total approach to the problem would see the removal of all elementary school textbooks with tacit or implicit sexism, racism, ethnic bias and stereotyping in their stories' plots, language, and illustrations. (MM)

Presents the "Chicano Story Value Scale" as a means of evaluating stories' value structures. (DD)

Presents (in the form of a conversation with "The Vampire") data on middle school students' attitudes toward literature circles, how they choose their groups for literature circles, patterns in the groups chosen, and how students selected the books they did. (SR)

Considers the differences between young adult and adult books and maintains that teachers must be familiar with young adults' tastes for both. Suggests that traffic between these publishing divisions is a two-way street, with young adults reading adult books and adults reading young adult books. (TB)

Suggests books and other materials that are interesting and supportive for struggling readers and reluctant readers, in several categories: repetitive texts, texts that can be performed, and popular texts that have particular appeal for reluctant readers. (SR)

Examines Dora V. Smith, who was a pioneer in education, ahead of her time in calling for a student-centered approach in the teaching of writing and reading. Explains how she stood up for cultivating a child's personal interests, both in choice of reading material and in written responses to that reading. (TB)

Explains that a Middle School Literacy Teacher Expert supports and guides teachers with innovative strategies to help students master basic literacy skills to become lifelong learners. Explains the A.C.T.I.V.E. strategy to encourage students to ask, comment, track down, infer, visualize, and Eureka! (synthesize). (PM)

This article emphasizes the importance of providing students with materials on the appropriate level of challenge. Major readability formulas and leveling systems that might be used to assess the difficulty level of materials are reviewed. It recommends using both objective and subjective factors when estimating readability levels. (Contains…

Argues for the use of student voice as pedagogical text in the English classroom. Produces texts written for young people as a means of placing on the agenda issues which matter to them. Suggests that such voices can be used productively and powerfully in the English classroom to articulate other ways of seeing and being in the world. (SG)

Presents the award winners and honor books at the elementary and secondary levels for the 2000 Carter G. Woodson Book Awards. Explains that these awards recognize exceptional books that address issues related to ethnicity. Provides reviews of each book. (CMK)

Many children are dealing with adult fears, such as death, crime, and war at early ages. School counselors can help children cope with these fears using stories from children's literature. The role that children's literature can play in teaching these coping skills is discussed along with strategies for choosing books. (Contains 33 references.)…

Discusses the importance of keeping adolescents' interests and needs foremost in mind when designing literacy instruction at the middle and high school level. Argues that effective adolescent literacy instruction must address issues of self-efficacy and student engagement with a variety of texts in diverse settings. Contends it must also attend to…

Describes an unusual set of circumstances that paved the way for an interdisciplinary year-long United States History course involving reading and language arts that relied heavily on trade books to support the curriculum. Describes choosing the books and using them in the program. (SR)

Presents data on trends in the academic job market, placement rates for PhDs inside and outside the academy, and levels of job satisfaction for those with doctorates. Includes samples of information available from the Modern Language Association and a bibliography of print and online publications that they recommend for planning a career in…