Shares Governor Taft's literacy goals and insights with the reading professionals throughout the state who work with Ohio's young readers and their volunteer tutors. Shares the perspectives of Nancy Padak and Janet Day, members of the OhioReads Council, on the progress and promise of OhioReads. Invites readers' responses--as teachers, as…

Presents a project to develop emergent literacy awareness and increase success with reading and writing through the America Reads program. Suggests the value of early experience and interaction with print in children's reading and writing development. Finds that approaches in which systematic code instruction is included alongside meaning…

Considers how journal writing is used in primary grades to support the emergent literacy skills of young children. Reviews the literature on journal writing. Compares first grade teachers' instructional practices and perceived benefits or disadvantages of journal writing. Provides evidence that first grade teachers in the school district are using…

Reviews some basic knowledge of phonics all teachers should know. Provides instructional activities to incorporate phonics within a balanced literacy program. Recognizes different approaches to teaching phonics and the importance of phonics. Discusses the use of consonants, blends and digraphs, short vowels, long vowels, and other strange vowel…

Identifies four patterns in a fourth grader's behavior and performance that went beyond his identity as a "terror": Steve connects with others orally, returns others' acceptance, can improve his self-image, and learns in untraditional ways. Notes that his portfolio helped him to articulate a presentation of his life for himself and others,…

Organizes instructional strategies into two sets: the first focusing on teaching editing skills, and the second on teaching writing conventions unconventionally. Considers teaching writing conventions using a social constructivist approach. Presents instructional approaches that provide a framework for helping students to express their ideas…

Discusses reading and writing workshops at Green Intermediate School. Notes that Nancy Atwell's voice has become a significant thread woven into a tapestry of literacy research and instruction among others whose work has contributed to the evolution of the way educators teach children to negotiate language. (SG)

Selects and evaluates a sampling of great children's literature to ascertain what values and character messages were being communicated to readers. Indicates that Newbery books are indeed "a compelling vision of the goodness of goodness itself." Notes that character trait analysis and discussion can be a fruitful forum for increased awareness of…

Considers the origin and validity of phonemic awareness and why phonemic awareness is important. Discusses phonemic awareness in a balanced reading program, and teaching phonemic awareness. Suggests activities that promote phonemic awareness by using children's literature. Discusses assessment of student progress. Presents experiences with her…

Addresses what phonemic awareness is and asks if there are different levels of phonemic awareness. Considers activities that are best for promoting phonemic awareness and questions when a child can be assessed as phonemically aware. Discusses what lies beyond phonemic awareness for emergent readers. Describes the author's journey as a graduate…

Considers what kind of classroom environment must be created to encourage first grade students to choose to read and write. Describes how the author changed her classroom arrangement, dividing it into 7 centers: the science center; information center; computer center; library center; family room; learning center, and the writing center. (SG)

Shares the author's efforts to implement instructional strategies that reflect current understanding of written language development with children identified as developmentally delayed. Notes that the information gathered will be useful for both special education and regular education personnel planning literacy instruction for special needs…

Discusses the theoretical framework behind, the benefits of, the implementation of, and the perspectives on student-led conferences using portfolios. Presents suggestions for preparing a class to share their portfolios during their conferences. Notes that it gives students a clear sense of their strengths, their weaknesses, where they stand, and…

Explores how district curriculum leaders select literacy programs and materials for their district and what factors influenced their decisions. Explains the methodology used and examines the findings which emerged upon analysis of the data gathered. Concludes most districts assembled a curriculum committee comprised of teachers and administrators…

Surveys the implementation of language experience and considers its benefits. Describes how teachers use language experience to demonstrate that language is used to express ideas and thoughts. Concludes that literacy educators need to redouble efforts to model Language Experience at all levels of professional development and to link theory with…