When he entered the building, the buzz of speculations quickly traveled throughout the halls. Where did he come from? What is wrong with him? What grade is he in? Who is has the lowest number? As everyone secretly hopes the new student deemed a "challenge" won't be placed in their classroom, the tall, thin shadow shuffles past your room…

Many children experience summer learning loss during the summer as measured by grade-level equivalents on standardized tests. Camp-based reading programs are a promising strategy to reduce summer learning loss. Situated within a positive youth development (PYD) theoretical approach, this study explored the efficacy of a U.S. camp-based reading…

College and university adoption and use of books as common reads has increased over the last several years. The growing popularity has also brought to light significant variations in how colleges and universities select and use common read texts. In some higher educational institutions, one tome is selected for all freshmen to read and discuss…

Despite the continued growth of common book reading programs on college and university campuses, little is known about the benefits of such programs on first-year students' development. Using a multi-institutional survey of undergraduates attending six large, public universities (n = 1,237), the present study examined relationships between…

Discusses individualized reading instruction in the United States in its historical context. States that effective, child-centered, individualized reading programs are guided by three principles: the desires, needs, and motives of each child; individual abilities, interests, and instructional needs; and opportunities for social interaction. Points…

Reviews reasons why many teachers are moving away from the basal approach to teaching reading. Describes literature-based instruction, and suggests the adjustments that teachers and students will need to make. Describes two plans for literature + basal partnerships as an intermediate step between the basal and a totally literature-based approach.…

Describes a school district's efforts to make teachers, parents, and students more aware of the importance and fun of reading. (RL)