Picturebook readalouds have been promoted as a rich resource for strengthening literacy development in young children and discussions of picturebooks have become a common--if threatened--practice in the primary grades. One subset of the diverse body of children's literature teachers can draw from is picturebooks with sparse verbal text. Such…

Two university researchers conducted a survey of middle school teachers' read-aloud practices at a large state conference for middle level educators. Results of this survey provide a beginning step toward evaluating the ways in which middle school teachers use read-alouds in the classroom. This paper shares the results of the survey and offers…

Examines first-year college developmental reading students' aliterate behaviors as revealed in self-reported reading histories. Finds that most subjects had early enabling literacy experiences, but even those experiences did not provide a hedge against later aliteracy. (RS)

Explores whether either of two sorts of individual work with parents in reading expository texts to their third-grade children would help children's understanding of new texts. Suggests that work with parents which specified how to highlight main ideas and details had moderately positive effects, while nonspecific work with parents had no similar…

Finds that the number of books and the amount of time treatment group children read and/or were read to by family members significantly increased over no-treatment comparison children, especially for boys. (RS)

Determines teacher and child behaviors during story reading and how they are related. Gathers data from 146 urban and suburban elementary school classrooms. Uses factor analysis to identify five categories of teacher behaviors and five categories of student behaviors. Finds that, across grade levels, children's involvement in prediscussion was…

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether fathers and mothers read differently to their four-year-old sons and daughters and to examine the effect of genre on the interactions that occurred in parent-child, shared book reading. Twenty-five dyads shared two narrative texts and two non-narrative texts. Results indicated that overall,…

Examines how mothers deviate from text while reading to young children and how these deviations vary according to children's development based on chronological age. Tests 25 mothers. Shows mothers of 24-month-olds and 4-year-olds asked more questions to engage their children, whereas mothers of younger children simplified text concepts. (PA)

Describes a study of elementary students' acquisition of vocabulary, comprehension of content area concepts in science and social studies, and ability to distinguish between fact and fiction in informational books read aloud by pre-service teachers in the classroom. Suggests appropriate uses and cautions considered when informational storybooks…

Examines the types of book-sharing strategies mothers use to make book language comprehensible and enjoyable for children. Finds mothers of 24-month-olds and 4-year-olds used questions and extended explanations whereas mothers of 6-,12-, and 18-month-olds used simpler language and engagement strategies. (NH)

Describes the variety of intertextual links made by the children as they listened to each variation of the Rapunzel story. Traces the development of their schema for the tale. Identifies seven types of intertextual connections. Consolidates the findings into a grounded theory of young children's schema-building for traditional stories, through…

Study investigated the perspectives of parents who read aloud to their young children. Results indicate that outside information can increase parents' awareness of the importance of reading aloud to their children and can motivate them to do so. (MM)

Explores and theorizes a foundering, unfriendly cognitive apprenticeship in reading between a college student and a child. Explores assumptions of benevolence in social constructivist pedagogical practices. Presents and discusses a model incorporating relevant issues such as communication, power, trust, identities, and relevance within an…

Examines to what extent teacher and parent interaction styles during storybook reading predict emergent reading level. Finds that percentage of teacher high cognitive demand and age parent began reading to their child accounted for 30% of the variability in the emergent reading level. (SR)

Study investigates the nature of verbal interactions which occur between parents and kindergarten children as they read favorite (familiar) and unfamiliar books. States that favorite stories allow children to become more involved in the story and attend to print, while unfamiliar stories provide for expanded schemata which may enhance meaning…