Reprints an article originally published in this journal in March, 1971. Surveys research on motor and perceptual programs for children with severe reading disability, finding no demonstrated special effectiveness for any such programs that claim to prevent or correct reading disabilities. Recommends motor-perceptual programs as general additions…

Describes the Directed Spelling Thinking Activity (DSTA), a technique that applies basic concepts from a language-based literacy learning approach to word study. Describes the conceptual framework, planning, and activities. Offers an example from students' writing. (SR)

Presents ideas for literacy-enriched birthday parties and other nonschool celebrations in family and community contexts. Discusses whole language birthday parties, other literature-related family events, and enrichment of other nonschool activities with literature. (SR)

Discusses a study that attempted to foster critical literacy in school children. Argues that teachers must help children ask questions and must accept that many of these questions will not appear on the surface to lead to the kinds of critical understandings they are seeking. (SR)

Presents brief annotations of 99 newly published children's and young adults' trade books chosen by school children across the United States. Groups the books for beginning, young, intermediate, and advanced readers. Notes that the list is useful to educators, family members, and everyone who wishes young people to read for pleasure. (SR)

Reports on a study testing the validity of the Names Test, an individually administered phonics assessment. Provides support for the Names Test's validity by showing it to be significantly correlated with established tests of word recognition and decoding ability. (SR)

Presents brief annotations of 41 recently published children's books (for students in elementary and middle grades). Focuses on a myriad of voices: those echoing the past and illuminating the wonders of nature; introspective voices seeking to help readers know themselves and their place in the world; voices of great joy and laughter uplifting…

Explains the purpose of this column, inviting teachers to support one another in thinking carefully about the transition to new forms of literacy and learning brought about by rapid changes in information technology. Invites teachers to participate in the changing nature of literacy and learning. (SR)

Presents reflections of six primary school teachers and their principal on the growth of their literacy program based on whole language principles; and their professional development as teachers of young children. Discusses a nurturing environment, changes in their literacy program, strategies for success, and future goals. (SR)

Describes a six-month project in a second grade classroom in which students wrote descriptive sentences to accompany the pictures in wordless picture books. Describes how this was done first as a whole class, then with partners, and finally individually. Notes that each story created in this fashion was read to someone. (SR)

Describes a school-wide creative writing activity for grades 1-9 in which students wrote about their teacher's (fictional) early life. (SR)

Presents a classic study originally published in this journal in 1963, which analyzed 45 phonic generalizations found in teacher's manuals. Finds that only 18 of the 45 generalizations are useful in having a reasonable degree of application (valid 75% of the time) to words commonly met in primary grade material. (SR)

Explores three aspects of evaluation: to find value in the content of writing; to promote writing growth (as children learn to evaluate themselves as writers and generate possible goals and strategies to attain them); and to rethink the role of teachers who value themselves as learners. (SR)

Interviews Karen Cushman about "The Midwife's Apprentice," the 1996 Newbery Medal Book. (SR)

Suggests books and other materials that are interesting and supportive for struggling readers and reluctant readers, in several categories: repetitive texts, texts that can be performed, and popular texts that have particular appeal for reluctant readers. (SR)