Shares a conversation between a second-grade student and teacher during a prewriting conference. Emphasizes that, in order to become writers, students need to do their own writing. (MG)

Offers four ideas for students to share their writing. Suggests that providing time and ways for children to share gives their writing purpose and direction. (MG)

Suggests the use of a taped dictation program to allow children to fully express ideas without initial concern for the mechanical tasks of spelling and handwriting. Offers steps to carry out a writing program with taped dictation. (MG)

Uses proverbs to facilitate the development of inferential reading skills. Provides examples of proverbs which children have finished with their own original endings. (MG)

Provides instructions for making and tips for using laptop flannel boards as portable and individual teaching tools. (MG)

Offers 10 suggestions for literacy educators' rights, noting that they should serve as points for discussion and action. Explains that these rights place the responsibility for literacy lessons on the teachers, where it belongs. (MG)

Stresses the importance of reading aloud to children. Notes several keys to the success of reading aloud. Shares success stories from several reading aloud programs. Answers potential objections, from skeptical parents, to reading aloud. (MG)

Examines and evaluates a guided reading lesson using a literature webbing strategy, with predictable books. Concludes that this approach significantly improved young readers' comprehension. (MG)

Reexamines what learning the alphabet means from the child's perspective. Draws from several case studies and other naturalistic examinations of young children as they learn to read and write to describe what young children learn about the alphabet. (MG)

Points out that a potentially serious flaw in many school-based programs lies in the fact that these programs are often for rather than by parents. Suggests that parents be included in the conceptualization, planning, and implementation of such programs. (MG)

Introduces teachers to the development and use of story maps as a tool for promoting reading comprehension. Presents a definition and review of story map research. Explains how to construct story maps, and offers suggestions for starting story map instruction. Provides variations on the use of story maps. (MG)

Reviews children's literature with multi-dimensional, engaging characters--characters with strengths and weaknesses who grapple with real problems and find real solutions. (MG)

Examines materials designed to improve children's writing or composition abilities. Focuses on whether the materials have students use the task/strategy/skill in such a way that they can transfer the task to other materials in reading or writing situations that serve a real function. (MG)

Recommends four resources (including basal materials) to use when designing reading-language arts curricula for classroom or school districts. (MG)

Encourages reading teachers to create their own instructional software, using recent advances in authoring systems which have made teacher-constructed microcomputer lessons instructionally viable. (MG)