Stories are one means of communication between people of all ages. The telling of stories or listening to them is a part of a tradition as old as human experience. This guide gives practical advice, curriculum suggestions, and story examples for teachers interested in using storytelling with young children. The following are the sections: (1)…

The focus of the articles in this theme issue of a journal for librarians and teachers working with young children is storytelling. The first article, "Observations on Storytelling," (K. Roberts) relates how storytelling can be essential to reading--if one observes the law of diminishing returns. The second article, "How to Turn a Story Hour Into…

The two terms reading problems and learning disabilities are not synonymous. Nevertheless, an increasing number of children who have reading problems are being labeled as learning disabled. Given the growing numbers of children failing to become competent readers, the fact that more and more of these children are being identified and treated as…

A study examined the effects of adult-interactive behaviors during repeated storybook readings upon the language development and selected prereading skills of prekindergarten at-risk students. A total of 53 inner city, low socioeconomic status subjects participated in the 20-week study. Subjects were dichotomized at the median on a measure of…

This resource book is intended to help parents identify good books for their children by offering a list of the best contemporary Australian books for children and by explaining ways to recognize what qualities to look for in new and unfamiliar books. The first section of the book answers some common questions about why books and reading aloud are…

This issue presents eight essays all on the theme of how young children can become strong and successful lifelong readers. "Seeking Common Ground" (Lee Sherman) reviews the debate over how best to teach young children to read. "In the Beginning" (Catherine Paglin) suggests that by reading aloud to young children and filling their world with print,…

Reading research has provided repeated evidence of measurable growth in reading performance and language development in children as a result of reading literature aloud to them. In order to match appropriate literary experiences to a specific audience, the teacher must have a knowledge of the interests, needs, and strengths of the children, and…

The 15 articles in this journal issue deal with children's literature. Among the topics and titles discussed are (1) Virginia Hamilton's books, (2) the new realism in children's literature, (3) gender bias in children's books, (4) teaching "Where the Wild Things Are" to adults, (5) language use in "Alice in Wonderland," (6)…

This series of booklets, each one focusing on a different topic, is intended for parents and children to read together as they listen to the companion audiotape that accompanies each booklet. Each booklet answers practical questions from parents, describes activities that can be undertaken at home, notes some books for parents and children, and…

This series of booklets is intended for parents and children to share, reading the booklets together as they listen to the companion tape for each booklet. Each booklet (focusing on a particular topic) answers practical questions from parents, describes activities that can be used at home, notes some books for parents and children, and contains…

This series of booklets is intended for parents and children to share, reading the booklets together as they listen to the companion tape for each booklet. Each booklet (focusing on a particular topic) answers practical questions from parents, describes activities that can be used at home, notes some books for parents and children, and contains…

A child's literary experience may be "stretched" through extension activities such as reading aloud, discussion, writing, art, music, and drama. While any planned activity can be overused and work against the intent of furthering the child's literary growth, there are many valid ways of offering the child opportunities for savoring and reflecting…

Noting that the ways children encounter and use print in the classroom can be examined as surface and organizing content of curriculum, this article provides descriptions of innovative uses of print in the kindergarten and elementary school classroom. Curriculum "surface content" includes activities, use of classroom space, display, and…

This document consists of the two 2000 issues of a magazine for parents, teachers, and others involved in cooperative nursery schools. The magazine is designed to provide a forum for views on dealing with young children, express a variety of ideas, promote the cooperative philosophy, and enhance the relationships of those involved in cooperative…

A group of elementary teachers enrolled in a graduate class in language arts at the University of North Dakota explored how children construct their own meanings as they interact with texts. One teacher regularly read to her 20-month-old grandson, and excerpts from the journal she kept reveal that his understanding of a specific text evolved to…