Discusses what research says about silent and oral reading and the implications this has for reading instruction and instruction in the content areas. States that students are more attentive during silent reading and participate more in follow-up discussions of silent reading than in oral reading. (MG)

Studies one struggling reader and her self-directed pathways to progress as she consistently chose old basal-sounding, beginner-oriented materials over newer, aesthetically constructed literature. Investigates differences between beginner-oriented texts and aesthetically constructed literature. Concludes some struggling readers need repetitious…

Examines how computer-mediated communication and hypertext in a critical literacy pedagogy (focused on writing as the ideological problem to be examined) can (1) support a critical examination of how discursive-contexts-position authors in potentially oppressive ways; and (2) help highlight how discursive agency might be constructed so that…

Contributes to cultural-studies scholarship on ethnographic media studies by examining the reception of imported romance novels among women in postcolonial urban India. Shows that romance novels were found pleasurable because they were an extension of Indian women's childhood English-language reading, and they were viewed as resources to improve…

Considers two very different fictional high school newspaper editorships to see how the "maestro" process works. Notes that the process is a management technique similar to brainstorming but in which one person keeps the planning meeting focused. Suggests that the effective maestro asks writers, photographers, and designers to trade places with…

Describes how the author uses reading response journals in her composition classes. Shows how it actively engages students in the reading/writing process, and how students learn careful, active reading and develop confidence generating ideas and formulating opinions via the structure, freedom, enhanced comprehension, critical thinking, and…

Explores the nature of reading for meaning as it affects the reading abilities of secondary-age bilingual pupils. Discusses cultural schemata theories which seek to account for the influence of culture on the reading process; links these to a school-based study. Illustrates the importance of cultural determinants on the understanding of text and…

Muses on and explores connections between a teacher's personal history as a reader; how she thinks about literature and about reading as a secondary English language arts teacher; and her assumptions about how high school students will, can, or should read. (PA)

Uses excerpts from fourth graders' literary discussion to describe literary language and reading strategies these students use to analyze and talk about literature and to generate meaning in response to literary texts. Rethinks the nature of literary discussions and outlines the importance of these literary discussions. Lists seven characteristics…

Describes the instructional framework of a college-level developmental-reading class that is founded on two principles: connecting the reading and writing processes, and encouraging students to bring their lives to their reading and writing. Discusses the course framework, course readings, pre- and post reading and writing activities, and…

Describes a teacher educator's return to high school English teaching, reflecting on her disappointment and dissatisfaction with her teaching of "Macbeth" and examining five uses of theory for better understanding the school, the students, the text, the essays, and the act of reading. The paper highlights the importance of race, social…

Compares and contrasts chapters from two children's science textbooks, one published in 1992 in a traditional format, and the other in 1995 using a new format. Finds them very different in terms of structure and organization. Shows that children respond to these texts very differently. Shares some ideas about teaching with such texts. (SR)

Compared construction of meaning in poetry for experts (PhD English candidates) and novices (undergraduates or high school students). Found that for experts, knowledge was an important component of poetic communication. Novices had well-developed expectations for understanding poetry as discourse. Experts used productive interpretive strategies to…

Examines interview responses of Mexican eighth graders about an adolescent novel that related the adventures of a female conquistador, including: their conceptions about gender, dynamics between the reader and the text, and the expression of response. Results revealed students' anxieties about gender issues, noting that how they understood these…

Discusses demands users face when searching for information in online libraries of product documentation. Demonstrates how physical libraries provide a helpful metaphor for design. Offers heuristics and a conceptual prototype for facilitating electronic document retrieval. Argues that the search form itself should communicate the way materials are…