This introductory article discusses the development of oral interpretation skills to promote literature in the classroom as part of the whole language curriculum. Benefits of listening to adults read aloud and telling stories are discussed, and the importance of listening skills and audience etiquette is described. (LRW)

Suggests that some Australian schools in the 1980s took up too enthusiastically what may be called the Effortless Theory of Learning to Read. Describes how Paired Reading can work and what can go wrong with such instruction. (RS)

Data from two-year-old children and mothers were collected concerning age at which she began to read to child, frequency of home reading, number of stories read per week, frequency of visits by child to library. Picture-book reading exposure was more strongly related to receptive than expressive language. Age of onset of home reading routines was…

Shows that middle-school students with autism were able to recall parts of a series of stories that were read to them. Finds that recall improved when stories around a theme were presented in a series, and was further enhanced when students drew and wrote about the stories and referred to their work when answering questions. (SR)

Describes the use of teacher stories (both positive and negative) in teacher education, explaining the long-term goal of getting students to internalize stories that would help guide their actions in the classroom. Student reactions to teacher stories varied depending on the stories and contexts of the readings. A comprehensive list of teacher…

Explored how mothers convey information about category structure during naturalistic interactions. Videotaped reading-aloud sessions between mothers and toddlers; coded their interactions for explicit and implicit discussion of animal and artifact categories. Found that mothers provided a rich array of information beyond simple labeling routines,…

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)