The 10 articles in this book examine how comprehension is affected by what the reader brings to the text, the manner in which the text is structured by the author, and the contextual variables that shape the meaning derived by the reader. Specific topics covered in the articles are (1) background knowledge and comprehension, (2) learning how to…

A study investigated the relationship between reading to a child, the child's awareness of print, and the child's concept of reading. Twenty-four kindergarten children and 24 three-year-old children at a day care center were randomly assigned to three groups. Three times a week for four weeks, each child in each group was read a book in a…

Argues that the educational system should encourage "down to earth" language by including oral recitation in the curricula, particularly recitation of popular poetry with accompaniment. Using the shuttle disaster as a striking example, claims that the modern media overuses conceptual language to disguise the hard meaning of what is being…

Determined that given an accepting environment is provided by the teacher, children will feel safe enough to express their thoughts about and reactions to what they are reading by interrupting their own reading and talking to their teacher. (SRT)

Describes a 10-week reading program that paired students and parents as reading partners. Concludes that the program was successful because the children's reading scores improved measurably and parents felt the program was worthwhile. (SRT)

Recounts the childhood experiences of the son of a children's author. Describes the father's writing habits, his use of imagery in his books, and his custom of reading his new stories aloud to his children. (NKA)

Discusses the use of predictable literature as a method of helping beginning or slower readers become more proficient readers. Offers a list of predictable literature and ideas for classroom activities to accompany each story and ways to record children's behavior as they read. (JC)

Parents are encouraged to read stories to their young hearing-impaired children because it encourages language development, motivates the child, promotes growth of reading skills, and provides positive personal interaction. Principles to guide parents in reading and discussing stories with hearing-impaired children are enumerated and book…

Describes research that examines the specific behaviors of mothers sharing books with their infants in order to ascertain the associations that exist between specific maternal reading behaviors and infants' intellectual development. (FL)

The Beginning with Books project distributed 1,000 free packets of children's books to disadvantaged families, and questionnaires showed favorable effects on literacy activities and family reading patterns. The program is now affiliated with the Pittsburgh public library, and a new literacy program is aimed at children in families of adults who…

Explains the difference between a reading aloud to children program designed to motivate children to read, and a developmental listening program which provides a focus for listening in a whole language environment and requires response and evaluation. (SD)

Analyzes the nature of the concepts shared and the manner in which they develop within the shared reading of five parent-child dyads. (FL)

Describes a study in London, Ontario, in which preschool children heard two 10-sentence stories which were accompanied by two pictures of sentence's subject and object, a picture of sentence's subject, a picture of sentence's object, or no pictures. Only the two-picture illustration produced significantly better learning relative to no-picture…

Describes the production of fiction (writing and recording) for children who are blind, visually impaired, or otherwise physically unable to read printed material. Character development, vocabulary selection, and volunteer readers are noted. Sample titles of children's literature suitable for adaptation to the talking book format are included.…

Parents engaged in a book reading task with their preschool child. The extent to which parents' teaching of children becomes less directive as a function of children's age and communicative status and the relationship between parents' interaction styles and children's verbal intelligence quotient was studied. (DWH)