Reading comprehension is much more than a decoding of the printed words on the page; it is, rather, a complex interaction between readers and their personal past experiences as they relate to the text. A connection between the text and past experiences of the readers can stimulate expectations about the text. Facilitating these links presupposes a careful review of appropriate children's literature. Two books particularly suited to calling up memories in the reader are "Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge" by Mem Fox and "When I Was Young in the Mountains" by Cynthia Rylant. Teachers can generate a list of words representing key concepts from such books. Students then make their own predictions about the story's plot. After reading the story, these predictions are compared with the author's intended message. Students choose one of their own memories to use as a focus for personal narratives. These writings are first shared in peer-response groups and then the teacher responds to the writings. An analytical scale is used for assessing the writing. Such a scale guides a purposeful dialogue between student and teacher and eases the student through the process of revision. (The analytical scale is attached.) (RS)