Stories are a good way to teach students numerous skills from reading comprehension to vocabulary--and this holds true even for special needs students. This book aims to guide teachers and librarians in helping grades 3-5 special education students meet the content standards produced by the National Council of Teachers of English and the…

When writers read, they evaluate all the time. This book is about what students can do to become better evaluators of themselves as writers and readers--and how the teacher can help. The book has been extensively revised in this second edition which is organized around five concepts that are central to an effective writing-reading program: voices,…

This guide, designed for use in upper elementary and junior high classrooms focuses on literary works by authors Cynthia Voigt, Elizabeth George Spear, Katherine Paterson, and Marguerite Henry, as a means of developing map skills and exploring the roads, towns, homes, landscapes, and eras of the authors. The geographic setting of each story is…

The HYPATIA Project envisions the creation of a digital depository and licensing and tracking service for unpublished "academic" works, including working papers, other works-in-progress, lectures, and other writings that are not normally published in formal academic journals. Any academic who wishes to deposit a work will be welcome to…

This guide puts books and readers together by helping readers' advisors in libraries, bookstores, and academic institutions find the books their readers will enjoy reading. Offering a structured overview of genres, it can also be used as a textbook for courses in genre literature and readers' advisory to discuss popular genres of fiction. The…

A centenary tribute to Wilhelm Vietor, whose work marked the start of modern methods of language teaching in Europe, describes the educational philosophy behind the reform movement. The movement focused on the value of spoken language and established an alternative to the grammar translation method. (MSE)

Surveys the opportunities for research in lesbian literature. Notes the vast amount of basic work yet to be done in this field as a result of past neglect, the limited accessibility of biographical and resource materials on lesbian writers, and the negative effects of homophobia. (RL)

Discusses "La Naissance du Jour" a novel by Colette, focusing on the mother-daughter relationship that underlies the story, and explores the same theme in other fictional works by women writers. Devotes particular attention to the ambivalence that troubles these relationships when the heroines face heterosexual love. (MES)

Children quickly become bored with repetition requiring the library media specialists to vary their booktalk formats to sustain children's attention and promote recreational reading. This article discusses the four basic booktalk formats: plot summary, anecdote, character description, creation of mood, and a fifth to promote books with a common…

Discusses the writings of Homer W. Smith, a physiologist who wrote novels, histories of religion, textbooks, and a book on the kidney for the general reader. Smith's writing skills remind students that biologists are as multidimensional as the rest of the population. Smith shows that all parts of life are interrelated as they enrich and shed light…

Summarizes the plot of "The Summer of the Swans," the 1971 Newbery Medal winner; provides discussion questions; outlines activities in drama, art, and language arts; and provides an annotated bibliography of picture books, fiction, and nonfiction dealing with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. Includes an interview with Betsy…

Discusses eight novels by the following female novelists from Africa: (1) Buchi Emecheta; (2) Flora Nwapa; (3) Bessie Head; and (4) Mariama Ba. Explores customs and attitudes that cause the most suffering to their female characters. Examines signs of change which suggest hope for the elimination of these causes. (JS)

Readability formulas applied to materials for hearing-impaired students do not account for important factors in reader-writer-text interaction. Factors include the reader's purpose, cultural background, and extent of background knowledge; writers' assumptions about readers; the text's structure, content, and cohesion; and the role of…

Describes an at-home project whereby students collaborate with their parents in writing a book, and the resulting books are shared at year's end. Involves parents and students in signing performance contracts, developing reading and writing, and sharing skills. (ET)

Considers problems of quantifying literary style. Examines several variables that may be used as stylistic "fingerprints" of a writer. Reviews work done on statistical analysis of change over time in literary style and applies this technique to the Bible. (CFR)