Considers how when literacy educators become more politically involved, they have more influence on the legislation that affects their own lives and their students' futures. Hopes to reach educators who are pessimistic about new standards and hopes they find practical suggestions for ways to better understand what new standards reforms and…

Presents annotations of about 30 children's books focusing on visual creativity, creative expression, creative response, creative inquiry, creating a vision, and creative problem solving. Features books that focus on creativity, imagination, and innovation. (SG)

Glimpses the literacy education practices of one third-grade Cuban teacher in a primary school in Havana. Speculates on relationships between Cuban educational practice and the Cuban socioeconomic system, including a historical analysis of Cuban literacy education since 1959. Finds high rote mastery of skills at the expense of creating a critical…

Describes an engaging activity for primary-grade students that encourages students to talk, read, write, and share events that are important in their lives by writing a daily news sheet. Describes the daily news process, which encourages students to share during whole-group community time and to work independently later. (SR)

Describes vocabulary anchors, a graphic teaching strategy that helps young learners build the conceptual connections they need to understand informational (nonfiction) text. Discusses three essential understandings about early learners and concept development. Offers several examples of using vocabulary anchors in the classroom. (SR)

Describes a one-year research project in a Western Australia primary school in a low socioeconomic area, which has a Khmer-English bilingual program to develop and extend children's English and Khmer language and literacy. Discusses findings concerning the children's written progress in both languages, and children's perceptions of their identity…

Describes cultural, political, and linguistic factors that have affected the literacy development of Aboriginal children in Australia. Discusses how oral and literate cultures manage knowledge differently, the social context of language development, literacy and power, cultural differences, and story reading. Suggests ways schools and teachers of…

Points out the many different kinds of texts people read and write, and how literacy is used for a wide variety of purposes. Argues that teachers should make available for students different kinds of texts in addition to the more conventional ones seen in classrooms, and offers a list of such materials. (SR)

Offers brief descriptions of 32 children's books (or book series) in Spanish that introduce children to numerous countries around the world. Notes a web site address listing high-quality books in Spanish for children and adolescents. (SR)

Explores how word walls and the activities related to them function as conversational scaffolds and as visual scaffolds that help students take control of literacy skills and strategies. Describes word walls. Discusses purposes they serve, how to use them with beginning, developing, and struggling readers and writers. (SR)

Compares results from a 1998-99 survey of Mexican teachers' viewpoints with data from 1978-79. Discusses teacher demographics, attitudes concerning their training, class size, use of the official curriculum, adequate supplies, materials and activities supplementing the official curriculum, time devoted to various areas of reading, attitudes toward…

Presents brief descriptions of 39 children's books (most of them published in 2000) that enlighten readers about new worlds by introducing countries, cultures, and people. Highlights books that present voices from the past, voices honoring heritage, the search for a voice, voices for freedom, voices of the community, and voices of wisdom. (SR)

Discusses what oral reading fluency is and why it is important. Describes rate, recognition, and phrasing, three important aspects of fluent oral reading. Examines some methods for developing fluency including modeling, repeated reading, paired oral reading, the Oral Recitation Lesson, and choral reading. (SR)

Describes the Said Web, an instructional strategy that encourages students to examine clusters of words and the words' linkages to one another so that vocabulary study does not occur as lists of isolated words, but rather as meaningful groups. Outlines eight instructional steps for the Said Web, which can be used with young children and modified…

Describes what CD-ROM talking books are and how they foster young children's literacy development. Notes teachers' questions and concerns about CD-ROM talking books, and why teachers should consider using them. Offers 12 suggestions for activities with talking books, organized at different interaction levels: initial level, fluency and…