The relative importance of internal and external letter features of words in children's developing reading was investigated to clarify further the nature of early featural analysis. In Experiment 1, 72 6-, 8-, and 10-year-olds read aloud words displayed as wholes, external features only (central features missing, thereby preserving word shape…

This manual describes the state of Washington's Literacy Day Care Link (DCL) program, whose volunteers spend an hour a week reading one-to-one with preschool children. The manual is a series of "stories" about the DCL program, stories that give insight into how the program works. The first section of the manual discusses setting up the…

This pilot study examined, from a dynamic systems perspective, changes in maternal/child discourse behaviors across repeated readings of a storybook. Four Caucasian children (2 boys, 2 girls), ranging in age from 2 years 7 months to 2 years 10 months, were videotaped reading unfamiliar storybooks with their mothers. The videotapes were…

Designed to help parents tell and retell their children's favorite fairy tales and stories, this collection condenses dozens of plots and lists characters, so that the parent can make a tale as long or as short as a sleepy child needs, personalize the story, and convey the true wonder of the originals through the spoken voice. The 64 tales in the…

Created for teachers, parents, storytellers, and anyone who works or plays with young people, this collection of 29 stories for children (and adult children) grew from the belief that the chance for survival of humanity in these difficult times may be improved by having stories grow in the hearts of the world's children. The stories in the…

A study determined the interrelationships among children's storybook reading behavior and knowledge of print concepts in kindergarten and their reading ability at the end of first grade. A sample of 21 subjects, ranging in age from 5 years 10 months to 6 years 8 months, was randomly selected from the morning and afternoon kindergarten sessions at…

This "Indicator of the Month" presents data on early literacy experiences in the homes of American children. In addition to data tables, key findings are summarized in the text. Key findings are: (1) in 1996, more than 80 percent of children ages 3-5 were read to three or more times or told a story in the past week by a parent or family member,…

A study determined whether reading aloud to children before entering school would influence their reading grade level as determined by their report card grade. Subjects, 85 first-grade children in a suburban school district in central New Jersey, took surveys home to be completed by parents. Results indicated that: (1) those children who were read…

Reading aloud is an important motivational strategy not only for primary school children but also for upper-elementary, middle, and high school students. Teachers should pursue an instructional balance that considers both a sensitivity to curricular mandates and a perspective that reading aloud is beneficial to students. Poems, short stories, or…

Despite periodic efforts, traditional social studies teaching methods continue to be used in grades K-6. Research suggests that elementary students do not like or value social studies when these traditional methods are used to organize and teach its content. The goals of the social studies curriculum in grades K-6 are to transmit citizenship…

Intended to help both parents and teachers select books for children, this bibliography compiles titles which were checked against ten well-known sources of recommendations for children's books and which were recommended by at least three of these authorities. Sources include the American Library Association's "Notable Children's Books,"…

In order to provide regular read-aloud programs in nursing homes, to mentally stimulate and enrich the institutionalized elderly, and to improve access to library materials and services a project, proposed by the Seattle Public Library, provided training for volunteers in read-aloud techniques, sensitivity to nursing home residents, and meeting…

This report describes Book Buddies, a volunteer-based outreach project of the San Francisco Public Library, whose goal is to provide reading services and to promote reading aloud to children and their families in San Francisco hospitals and pediatric clinics. The introduction chronicles the need for such a program; offers background information on…

The incorporation of literature into the school curriculum is perceived as an important way to involve students in "real world" reading. To maximize the use of literature in the school curriculum, teachers need to concentrate on three areas: (1) modeling for students; (2) developing a sense of story; and (3) enhancing comprehension…

Contrasts between children's visualization and understanding of a filmed story and of a story in print are drawn in the introduction of this symposium paper. Discussion then briefly focuses on variables related to studying effects of story pictures on viewers, such as the story-line, audience characteristics, and the coordination of story modality…