Discusses research supporting the connections between (1) early reading proficiency and listening to literature at a young age and (2) the nature of children's interactions with books before they read and later reading achievement. Indicates that story telling in the classroom represents a critical link between literature and literacy. (JD)

Discusses the measurable benefits in reading improvement, language skills, listening skills, and access to material beyond present skills that children receive from teachers reading aloud. Includes guidelines for successfully reading aloud in the classroom and a brief bibliography of sources of good books to read aloud. (HTH)

Describes observations of mother-child dyads during reading aloud events. Traces the changes in the mothers' interactional strategies as the children grew over the six-month period, and the mothers adapted to the experiential, linguistic, and literacy background of the children to construct meaning from the text. (HTH)