Concludes that teachers' questions influence both the sorts of inferences fifth-grade students draw from a text and how well they integrate the new information with what they already know. Argues that they learn best the things they are asked about. (FL)

Describes four strategies that can help develop children's sense of story structure: story patterns, circle stories, story pictures, and story maker. (FL)

Discusses the importance of preschool literacy training. (FL)

Describes how fifth grade students can help first graders develop their language skills and also teach other fifth graders how to tutor. Provides a list of picture books for use in the program. (FL)

Suggests that picture book stories about music and musical instruments can be effectively blended with music experiences in an early childhood education program. Offers ideas for doing this in the elementary school classroom; includes a list of recommended books. (FL)

Offers practical activities that make spelling drill more interesting and more applicable to vocabulary development. (FL)

Presents suggestions for using plays in the classroom as a means of developing language and reading skills. Provides a list of plays covering many topics and grade levels. (FL)

Reports on a study in which a seven-year-old girl was trained to focus on individual words in learning to read. (FL)

Describes a project in which children read the works of Peggy Parish, then spoke with her by means of a telephone conference call. (FL)

Indicates that publishers need to do more to eradicate racism and sexism from basal reading texts. Argues that including the handicapped, the elderly, and one-parent families in the texts would also reflect society more realistically. (FL)

Concludes that teachers pick and choose when it comes to using activities suggested by teachers' manuals. Reviews what they do and do not use. (FL)

Indicates that presenting mathematical word problems in abbreviated form is not helpful to either good or poor readers. (FL)

Substantiates a positive and significant relationship between high interest and literal comprehension for second grade readers in the Virgin Islands. Asks teachers to consider how this might affect classroom instruction. (FL)

Notes that school effectiveness research has identified particular process and content characteristics associated with gains in reading achievement. Examines the research and the application of research findings. (FL)

Describes two studies showing that young readers may have trouble with comprehension when text contradicts their own prior knowledge. (FL)