Discusses how reading aloud to students improves their reading competencies, including language processes, reading and listening skills, and reading motivation. Concludes that reading aloud should be a regular part of a daily classroom schedule. (MM)

Discusses the benefits of reading aloud to preschool and kindergarten children. Notes that active participation accounts for many of these benefits. Suggests several interactive story reading strategies, including a Directed Listening-Thinking Activity and shared book experiences. (MM)

Presents eight guidelines to consider when using computers for language instruction, emphasizing computer use in a social and purposeful context. Suggests computer software which adheres to these guidelines. (MM)

Discusses reasons why teaching difficult vocabulary in a selection may not improve comprehension. Emphasizes the importance of teaching vocabulary that represents ideas or concepts central to the reading selection. (MM)

Asserts that reading and writing skill instruction should not be taught as a set of discrete steps with phonics workbooks, but instead should be based on examples taken from texts which children write and read. (MM)

Explains how to teach remedial reading students to visualize. Notes that developing this type of interaction with a story helps improve reading comprehension. (MM)

Describes a listening lesson plan to teach in conjunction with the basal story "Sam Clemens of Hannibal." (MM)

Describes the "Magic E," a game designed for small groups to practice decoding skills. (MM)

Relates how a class of fifth graders increased their self-confidence and participation in learning activities by tutoring first grade students. (MM)

Describes a student-created "rap" that emphasizes fifth graders' recall of basic English elements, using textual information from "Building English Skills." (MM)

Suggests ways to use riddles to teach reading, including riddle statements, clues to riddles, and riddle stories. (MM)

Describes how freeform poetry can be created out of newspaper or magazine articles. Provides a sample student poem. (MM)

Describes a remediation program designed to promote students' self-confidence, in addition to promoting fluent reading and enhancing comprehension. Notes that the program uses real books with meaningful language patterns, presented so that each student experiences success. (MM)

Reports on a study which examined students' attitudes toward reading basals as opposed to children's novels. Notes that children overwhelmingly preferred novels over the basal series. (MM)

Shows how Junior Great Books (JGB), a program of interpretive reading and discussion centered around the "shared inquiry" method of learning, improves thinking and discussion skills for students from grades 2-12. Describes a training session for teachers intending to use the program, and provides information for ordering the series. (MM)