Investigates children's responses to independent reading and their perceptions of the literary quality of series books and recommended literature. Concludes that students like both kinds of books, and that reading series books does not interfere with their appreciation for literature of higher quality. Recommends assisting children to find quality…

Investigates what happens when parents are invited and encouraged to share their own knowledge and insight of their children's literacy development with teachers. Finds that such sharing can help teachers design instruction to better meet students' needs. (SR)

Presents brief annotations of 30 recently published United States trade books for children and adolescents, chosen by teachers for this annual list, and found to be exceptional in curriculum use and good for reading aloud at home. Groups books into primary, intermediate, and advanced levels. (SR)

Presents brief annotations of 47 recent children's books that explore the portrayal of relationships with siblings, friends, pets, parents, grandparents, other relatives, and holiday gatherings. (SR)

Finds that second-grade students of all reading abilities eagerly participated in posing and discussing questions in response to literature, asking more "why" questions than any other type. Offers recommendations for teachers interested in creating opportunities for students to discuss their own literature questions. (SR)

Outlines perspectives on literacy evident in the mass media: the business perspective, the deficiency perspective, and the combat perspective. Reflects on other literacy metaphors, and argues that, as knowledgeable participants in the public debate, teachers should use literacy labels that reflect more authentic and legitimate viewpoints. (SR)

Notes that literature full of rich, specific vocabulary is the best source for teaching good writing. Briefly lists mini lessons that focus on encouraging the use of interesting words. (SR)

Argues that children's multicultural literature can help explore negative bias--how it develops through ignorance and is disarmed by sharing accurate information concerning cultural variations. Presents a five-phase procedure for exploring bias using children's multicultural literature, and illustrates it by applying it to the book "Flossy and the…

Describes how a first-grade teacher often concludes the study of a topic with a "what we've learned chart" (which adapts paragraph frames to extend the well-known K-W-L chart) to assess student learning and provide opportunities for nonfiction writing. (SR)

Describes Retrospective Miscue Analysis (RMA), an instructional strategy that invites readers to reflect on their own reading process. Explains several variations on the RMA strategy. (SR)

Describes how a group of professionals at a school near San Antonio, Texas, worked together to change the reading curriculum from a traditional basal reading program to an approach built around quality literature. (SR)

Describes how reading specialists could function as collaborative consultants, spending the preponderance of their time working with other adults to meet the needs of students. Discusses curriculum development, instructional problem solving, assessment, and parent liaison. (SR)

Describes an instructional activity (used with kindergarten students) called "What Can You Show Us?" which embeds phonemic awareness in quality, contextualized reading, and writing activities. (SR)

Offers brief annotations of 41 children's books and picture books that deal with challenges to peoples' bodies or minds, or challenges to the environment. (SR)

Offers four responses from readers of this journal to the question of whether ability grouping in first grade is negative. (SR)