Discusses the need for children to go beyond literacy to become lifelong readers. Highlights include the reading process; reading instruction; and the role of the librarian, including reading books aloud, allowing children to choose their own books, book discussion groups, teaching different purposes of reading, and author studies. (LRW)

Discusses the history of literature-based reading programs, including the early history, growth of libraries and recreational reading, individualized reading, emergent literacy, reading aloud, whole language literature-based reading programs, teacher education, and the future. (SR)

Examines the code-switching patterns of a bilingual preschooler involved in English and German shared reading and independent reading. Finds that melodic text reduced code-switching; her view of the task influenced her code-switching; and her code-switching patterns during discussions were similar to talk outside the literacy event. Suggests…

Notes that teachers need to demonstrate a love of reading in order to pass it on to their students. Discusses ways to encourage a love of reading through book groups, reading goals, daily oral and silent reading, and sharing the impact of reading with students. (SC)

Arranges a literature class to create a reading community in the classroom--chairs in a circle, journal reading aloud, and frequent small group activities. Suggests choosing a literary work with at least three to four developed characters for use in a participatory talk show format so that students can engage with a literary text "from the…

Investigated the early childhood teacher's role in selecting, reading, and making accessible high-quality children's books, and providing reading opportunities. Twenty-one teachers' responses showed that they mostly read books recommended for literary quality; a smaller portion of the books accessible to the children were of high quality. Problems…

Describes a parent/school reading program in which parents were encouraged to increase the amount of time spent reading with their children at home. Notes that the school provided easily accessible reading materials, suggestions for encouraging reading at home, prizes and special activities. Concludes that program participants demonstrated a…

An adult read to 12 children from a regular paper book. Twenty-four children explored a similar electronic book. For half of this group, the electronic book was with and for half without restrictions on games. Regular book format was more supportive of learning story content and phrasing; both formats supported internalization of features of…

Suggests that the real power of the childhood reading encounter is less in the specific elements of story or character and more in what is accomplished by the private interchange between child and book. Discusses the differences between reading and being read to and between reading and television watching. (AEF)

This column provides background related to several "hot" reading topics currently taking place in schools across America as educators strive to produce lifelong readers who enjoy reading, read for a variety of purposes, and make meaning from the texts they read. Information for further reading on the topics explored also are shared. Such topics…

It's not that boys can not read, they just do not read. Study after study reveals that boys read less than girls. And according to the U.S. Department of Education, school-age boys tend to read a grade and a half lower than girls. How can librarians get guys to turn the page? For starters, they need to move beyond their traditional "here is a book…

Shared book reading in families is strongly linked with successful school literacy and thus with identity, belonging and participation in literate societies. From an "emergent" perspective, literacy is recognised as beginning from birth. However, despite exceptions such as research into the UK program, "Bookstart", most…

Children often become deeply immersed in stories. Just as often, however, they may resist reading, or reading certain types of texts. The authors present a typology of six ways in which young children resist stories. Though educators may be inclined to view such opposition as a roadblock to understanding, children's resistance may be the occasion…

In today's educational climate, many teachers find themselves in situations where they have little say in the overarching decisions that influence their teaching lives. Still, there are daily decisions that teachers can make to benefit students, and by uniting their decision-making efforts, teachers can make a difference. The author of this column…

"An Ethics Curriculum for Children," a read-aloud literature-based curriculum, aims to teach elementary school students seven universal attributes of good character. Lessons and home assignments are organized around multicultural stories. The program activities are designed to connect the experiences of characters in the stories to…