Research in the field of literacy has identified choice as a key component affecting students' reading habits and their resulting literacy growth. This article discusses an in-school independent reading project in which students are provided the freedom to choose books, use ambient music, and engage in book talks. The children showed increased…

Research evidence suggests that summer breaks contribute to income-based achievement and opportunity gaps for children and youth. However, summertime can also be used to provide programs that support an array of goals for children and youth, including improved academic achievement, physical health, mental health, social and emotional well-being,…

The Reading First Program is a central element of the No Child Left Behind legislation (No Child Left Behind Act, 2001). It builds on findings reported in a national consensus report (NICHD, 2000), about proven strategies to reduce the prevalence of reading difficulty in the early grades in order to help children read at or above grade level by…

The diverse population of students in grades 1- 3 at a suburban elementary school has created a challenge for teachers when differentiating instruction in reading. The purpose of this doctoral project study was to explore the lived experiences of these teachers as they have acquired research-based instructional strategies in reading that support…

A questionnaire was mailed to 341 colleges and universities granting graduate degrees in reading to obtain information about the function and operation of their reading clinics. The concerns addressed include the function of the clinic, the type of clients served, the type of staff employed, the kinds of services offered, and the kind of funding…

As part of the final year evaluation of the Reading First Program, the Georgia Department of Education (GDOE) continued to follow the achievement of the original group of Reading First schools during the 2000-2001 school year. The final evaluation focuses primarily on the Reading First program's effect on students' reading achievement. Information…

This report describes and evaluates the Chapter 2 Inexpensive Book Distribution Program (IBDP), a federal program designed to motivate children from age three to high school to read, and the Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) organization--the sole contractor of the IBDP. Following an executive summary, an introductory section presents basic…

At the 2000 conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, the National Reading Conference celebrated its 50th anniversary, and with this issue, the editors offer to the readership the "50th Yearbook" of the conference. This Yearbook begins with a preface and presents profiles of two awardees, Lee Gunderson and Michael Pressley. Included in this…