The purpose of this study was to gauge the effects of offering LGBTQIA+ novels to students in an English Language Arts and Reading high school setting. Most novel options for students come from old books available in the school's book closet consisting of antiquated stories offering little in the way of diversity. Students are more likely to be…

Learning and innovation skills such as creativity, critical thinking and problem solving, communication, and collaboration can be fostered through learning about STEAM role models. Using selected picture book biographies, teachers can help their elementary students visualize the experiences of these individuals as they developed and refined ideas…

Reading aloud to students is a common practice among teachers of young children. While reading aloud is a research-based instructional strategy with many potential benefits, studies show that not all teachers read aloud to their students, and read-aloud use tends to decline as students age. The purpose of this study was to explore the current…

What can school librarians do about library and book censorship? First, ask questions. Find out what your principal and your district have put into policy and what your principal's expectations are for your school library. Then, communicate with your classroom teachers. For ourselves, school librarians should work with colleagues, especially other…

This study explores how Thai university teachers integrate extensive reading (ER) into foundation English courses for non-English majors. 63 participants completed an online questionnaire and eight respondents joined semi-structured Zoom interviews. Questionnaire respondents were categorized into Groups A (less experienced with ER) and B (more…

In this critical self-study, four educators located in two Canadian provinces in both secondary and post-secondary institutions investigated their pedagogical practices of using picture books as teaching tools. By exploring the intersection of critical friends and collaborative learning, we investigated how this synthesis enhanced teacher…

Previous research on document selection has found that college-level readers are generally able to differentiate trustworthy from less trustworthy sources. Yet, a preference for selecting trustworthy sources may depend on features of the reading situation and readers' beliefs in science. In the current study, college students were tasked with…

Narrative is fundamental to human thought, yet in many classrooms, expository texts are commonly used to support learning in content-based subjects, such as history. Given the importance of narrative, it might be harnessed as a powerful tool to support learning. This research compares the impact of narrative nonfiction (NNF) and expository text…

Children and adults are frequently engaging in shared reading activities and storytelling within early childhood settings. This includes children with varying abilities and intersecting identities learning in inclusive or special education settings. Researchers recognize the importance of representation in children's stories, and stories that…

Research Findings: Cultural differences emerge in the home literacy environment and the nature of shared book-reading (SBR), yet the impact of culture on parents' book selection remains unexplored, despite the centrality of the book in SBR. Parents in Spain (n = 132) and Israel (n = 123), two Western countries with different cultural patterns,…

We highlight in this essay the significant career contributions of William H. Teale to the field of literacy research, policy, and practice in recognition of his receipt of the 2020 Oscar S. Causey Award. First, we contextualize Professor Teale's scholarship through personal descriptions of our decades-long collegial relationships with him. We…

Although reading aloud to elementary students is a common practice, few studies have focused on the actual texts read, beyond considerations of fiction versus nonfiction, and few studies have included a line of inquiry exploring teachers' rationales for text selection. In this mixed-methods study, we pair a content analysis of the reported read…

Celebrating books published in 2023, now finishing its fifth award cycle, the Whippoorwill Award continues to recognize quality rural literature for young people. Each year, the award committee selects books that portray and honor the complex experiences of rural culture and communities. The award serves to help highlight the diversity of rurality…

This qualitative study examined kindergarten children's responses to their favorite books and their perspectives on reading at home and school. Data included observations, interviews with teachers, parents, and children, and "My Favorite Book" response sheets completed by children. Children's favorite books reflected various genres,…

Critical K-12 educators who teach students to question the status quo have always faced censorship, rebuke, and potential loss of livelihood. This risk is particularly heightened in conservative areas, like Texas, where ideological opposition to equity often results in legislative threats to ban literature and censor curriculum that addresses…