Teachers can use literature written for the young adolescent as a powerful tool for establishing and enhancing the community in the classroom that is arguably a necessity for learning to occur. In order for the young adolescent to be successful in the school classroom, a shared sense of community must exist. The students must feel connected to,…

This single instrument case study illuminates the aesthetic transactions an adolescent male student constructs in response to an experimental Gothic studies reading unit implemented by his cooperating teacher over a sixth month period in his seventh grade ELA (English/ Language Arts) class. Ray is described as ''lazy' regarding academic reading…

Engaging students who are reluctant readers is not a one-sided dilemma, but rather a dynamic problem with many facets. This study examined one aspect of this conundrum. While reading is a difficult and challenging task for many, reluctant readers struggle with not only being engaged, but with negative self-perceptions. The fourth grade reluctant…

Current reading assessments put emphasis in the five components of reading competency, neglecting the self-efficacy needs of students. When students struggle with one of or all five components of reading competency, they could have negative feelings about themselves as a reader. This article offers teachers and effective user friendly assessment…

This conceptual article explores early adolescent students' responses to an experimental Gothic reading unit (including popular culture and traditional texts). The Gothic genre was selected due to both its prevalence in youth culture and lack of representation in reading classrooms. This hybrid curriculum increased academic reading engagement in…

Literacy skills including reading comprehension, writing, vocabulary development, and other components of literacy are utilized in all content-areas. In transacting with content-based texts, students should have the opportunity to response to content in a manner which is open-ended and thought-provoking. After using dialogue journals in social…

The aim of this study is to investigate the perception levels of the messages of didactic fiction texts in fictive context and the student's perception levels of these messages. 80 students attending the grades of 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th--20 from each grade--are randomly selected as participants. Under the supervision of specialists, six fictive…

The main purpose of this study is to define the effect of the juvenile fiction on secondary school students' reading skills. In the study; 6th grade students', reading juvenile fiction, attitudes to reading, reading speed, comprehension ability of what is read are examined. The group of students reading juvenile fiction is compared to the ones not…

Programs that promote family literacy, as defined by Hannon (2003), are "programs to teach literacy that acknowledge and make use of learners' family relationships and engagement in family literacy practices." Why are such programs important for young learners? According to Livingston and Wirt (2003), children who have homes with books,…

This research investigated reading support and book preferences of fourth grade English language learners (ELLs) who were struggling readers. This qualitative research focused on three case studies. Interviews were conducted to explore ELLs' perceptions on reading motivation, reading programs, and types of support they received. Descriptions of…

Despite efforts from the No Child Left Behind Act (2000) aimed at better educating minority children, the African American-Caucasian test score gap persists. The population of public school students is increasingly diverse; yet, 90% of public school teachers are Caucasian females (Graybill, 1997). Within this ethnographic dichotomy, what effect…

The main purpose of this study is to define the effect of the juvenile fiction on secondary school students' reading skills. In the study; 6th grade students', reading juvenile fiction, attitudes to reading, reading speed, comprehension ability of what's read are examined. The group of students reading juvenile fiction is compared to the ones not…

The aim of this study is to investigate the perception levels of the messages of didactic fiction texts in fictive context and the student's perception levels of these messages. 80 students attending the grades of 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th 20 from each grade, are randomly selected as participants. Under the supervision of specialists, six fictive…

Adults and children around the world are actively engaged in making the environment a better place. Their efforts include recycling, adopting whales and acres of the rain forest, as well as, cleaning up after oil spills and revitalizing eco-systems. This caring for the environment is what is defined in this article as "environmental empathy in…

A summer reading program for disadvantaged, urban elementary school students provided scaffolded access to books by constructing a book-rich environment, as well as giving supportive strategy instruction for choosing and using reading materials. The program culminated in a book-buying experience in which students chose books for home libraries.…