Videotaped 14 mother-infant dyads during book sharing to examine categories of information mothers provided when talking about the book. Found a substantial amount of discussion about the books. Mothers modeled information structures of varying levels of cognitive demand, most frequently modeling the simplest of labeling pictures, with decreasing…

With visual aids to spark motivation and increase comprehension, with holiday storytelling to enhance interest and stir curiosity, and with techniques for mastering longer story selections, library media specialists can entertain children as well as add variety to the curriculum and develop an enriched language and learning environment.…

Examines whether reading aloud in the classroom is an appropriate student-centered method of teaching reading. Describes how using this method to study Steinbeck's novel, "of Mice and Men," provides a structural, sociolinguistics, cultural, and stylistic knowledge through a combination of explanation and active engagement. (Author/VWL)

Used participant observation, child interviews, and teacher meetings to examine reading strategies that emerged in a first-grade, multiethnic, urban classroom over 20 weeks. Found that children used five reading strategies, including narrative storytelling, relying on memory, and word-for-word reading; tensions emerged between strategies that…

Argues that only by reading the same piece of literature at the same time, or by rereading jointly a passage from a work read earlier and in solitude, can students learn what reading strategies other readers use. Argues that reading can be assigned without destroying the spirit and energy of the reading/writing community. (RS)

Describes the effect of including literary works of interest to adults on a developmental reading course offered to incarcerated adults. Notes that proper phrasing and intonation were identified and emphasized as aids to comprehension. Discusses skills emphasized in the course. Reports that classroom discussions were lively and interesting. (RS)

Presents a case study of a learning disabilities teacher who struggled with the traditional instructional approaches and who adopted a literature-based, whole language program. Presents the teachers' reflective comments along with references from the literature of whole language researchers and theorists. (RS)

Examines the content of the pamphlet "What Works: Research about Teaching and Learning." Asks (1) what it means to say it is "drawn from""Becoming a Nation of Readers"; and (2) whether the editors are guilty of political chicanery with reading research, as some have argued. (RS)

Objectives of this study were to examine effects of text genre (narrative and expository) and format (familiar and traditional) on teaching strategies mothers used when interacting with their children during reading tasks; and the effectiveness of mothers' teaching strategies in eliciting children's participation in joint reading tasks. (PCB)

Discusses how teachers can begin to create contexts in which reading excites children and links them effectively with books in a variety of genres. Argues that literature is a vehicle for creating contexts to facilitate intellectual growth and critical thinking. (RS)

A videotape training package to help mothers learn techniques of dialogic reading to preschool children as a way to accelerate language development was developed and tested with 64 children and their mothers. Dialogic reading affected the children's language development powerfully, and the taped training was an effective teaching method. (SLD)

Describes ways in which teachers in a preschool center structure the environment and provide supportive interactions that give children in their care, the same advantages found in homes of early readers. Summarizes how the center replicates characteristics of such homes. Suggests involvement with books and other print-related materials. (BAC)

A project called "Show-Me Bedtime Reading" explored the effects of regular one-to-one evening reading and signing sessions on the development of expressive and receptive language skills of students with deafness. Test scores indicated the positive influence of individualized reading on the development of English competence. Learning strategies…

Describes over 20 picture books that motivate beginning readers to become more proficient at reading and to develop a love of reading. Discusses the role of illustrations in engaging the reader and contributing to story development. Recommends parental assistance to help children enjoy the books' humor and subtitles. (JB)

Summarizes eight documents recently placed in the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) database. They cover women and literacy, reading to children, multilingual families, curriculum development, English as a Second Language, volunteers in adult education, reading professionals, and Barbara Bush's efforts to promote national literacy.…