This study offers an alternative to traditional notions of scaffolding for reading comprehension by tracing the evolution of a fifth-grade small group literature conversation in which the teacher sought to displace himself as "primary knower" (Berry, 1981) in the conversation. The study examines how the teacher shared evaluation with his students…

Dudley-Marling discusses the nature of research in the teaching of reading and the possible connections between such research to teaching and to policy. He questions what he calls the "leitmotif" of federal education policy, specifically, the call for "scientifically based research" to determine reading teaching practices, arguing how such…

Analyzes literacy events co-constructed by three bilingual, mainland Puerto Rican kindergarteners and the network of adults and children in their homes who support their developing literacy. Reveals and gives value to some of the many literacies in the children's lives and communicates a respectful approach to the study of literacy in families…

Presents 34-item annotated bibliography of journal articles addressing issues such as: bilingual/foreign language/second language education; classroom discourse; literacy; reading; and writing. Notes that most of the studies appeared during the six-month period from June to December, 2000 but some studies that appeared earlier are occasionally…

Describes the English-reading development of Latino English learners who were members of the low reading group in a first-grade all-English classroom. Reveals that one boy's development was characterized by two relatively distinct phases, the first marked by plateaus and learning to play it safe and the second marked by cognitive shifts and a…

Examines the code-switching patterns of a bilingual preschooler involved in English and German shared reading and independent reading. Finds that melodic text reduced code-switching; her view of the task influenced her code-switching; and her code-switching patterns during discussions were similar to talk outside the literacy event. Suggests…

Investigates elementary school teachers' beliefs and classroom practices about reading. Describes how three of the teachers experimented with new language, beliefs, and/or practices, juxtaposing them with current beliefs and practices. Considers how, at the end of two years, two teachers had altered their beliefs and transformed their practices,…

Presents 29 brief descriptions of research in the teaching of English (published July through December, 1999) in the areas of: bilingual/foreign language education; classroom discourse; discourse processes; literature; professional development; reading; research methodology; technology and literacy; and writing. (SR)

Presents a 43-item selected annotated bibliography of recent research in the teaching of English published, generally, between July through December, 1998. Divides entries into sections on assessment; bilingual/foreign-language education; media, society, and literacy; reading; research methodology; teaching and learning of literature; technology…

Finds that two proficient middle-school readers (in initial encounters with self-selected, unknown words) employed multiple strategies to gain knowledge of new words, including making use of distant and local context, drawing on different types of content connections, doing word-level analysis, and using syntactically appropriate synonyms. They…

Examines influences of text language and structure and text-picture relationships on 33 preschoolers' emergent readings of three picture books and teacher-led shared readings that preceded them. Indicates findings on emergent readings support a transactional model of emergent reading and highlight the importance of considering the influence of…

Describes one element of the reading act as it operates in time--how "good-enough" readers of complex fiction strike a personal balance between the need for momentum and the need for accountability to the text. Draws from protocols provided by 33 readers, from eighth grade to Ph.D. level, following two readings of a novel. (PA)

Studies profoundly deaf children's responses to picture book reading in a preschool environment as compared to responses of hearing children. Finds that in spite of a severe delay in learning language, deaf children's responses to the picture books were similar to those of hearing children. Concludes that deaf children learned a great deal about…

Describes a study of seventh graders learning to make and share meaning about literature through "sketch-to-stretch," an interpretive strategy involving the creation of symbols and pictures and other nonlinguistic signs to signify ideas generated through reading. Supports teaching that provides such shared opportunities for students. (TB)

Shows that of the 300 bilingual program evaluations studied only 72 were methodologically acceptable and of that 72 only 22% found traditional bilingual education better than regular classroom instruction when the outcome is reading, 7% when the outcome is language, and 9% when the outcome is math. Suggests that findings do not favor transition…