Defines "Discourse" as a conglomeration of "ways of behaving, interacting, valuing, thinking, believing, speaking, and often reading and writing" that marks membership in a group. Considers how some students'"Discourse" may conflict more than others comparing their home Discourse with their school Discourse. Presents three recently published books…

Presents results from a survey in the United States that provides some indication of how reading specialists fulfill their roles and how they offer students effective literacy instruction. Notes that the goal was to investigate what reading specialists do so that educators could better understand how they provide services to students and teachers.…

Notes that in light of the September 11th attacks, children need strength and support. Acknowledges that they already know that the world is a scary place, but they also need to learn that there is hope for a brighter tomorrow. (SG)

Presents a case study in which one 9-year-old nonreader of English at a private school made progress in a 6-month remedial reading program. Describes strategies that may help other primary school teachers of English as a second language. Describes the process of instruction and highlights the implications of the findings. (SG)

Suggests that the more teachers can simulate learning conditions in their classrooms, the more effective their students' learning. Explores the degree to which the learning theory can be applied to quite different examples of real-world, complex learning. (SG)

Suggests that pairing emergent readers of approximately equal expertise provides opportunities for collaborative relationships where young readers pool expertise in jointly constructing text. Notes that children's language use contributed to their shared motivation and, by extension, helped to create and support the "shared situations"…

Honors the pleasures of childhood as depicted in literature written especially for children. Presents annotations of 32 titles incorporating ideas such as: readers as investigators, characters as detectives, characters readers, fun and games, and tickling the funny bone. (SG)

Presents analyses of different aspects of various types of texts so teachers may make informed decisions when selecting trade books to enhance their science program. Provides an overview of three major categories--genre, content, and visual features--that the literature supports as important in the selection of books for science. (SG)

Considers how the use of graphic organizers helps students understand difficult concepts about literacy. Notes that graphic and other visual organizers help students to understand interconcept relationships by presenting the information spatially. Describes the four-square strategy which integrates specific aspects of phonics instruction,…

Describes the design and implication of a 10-week unit for third and fourth graders using QARs (Question-Answer-Relationships) to integrate reading and writing tasks and prepare for standardized tests. Concludes that the student-friendly model described here is easy to implement and can be customized for any classroom and grade level. (SG)

Suggests the use of an extended K-W-L (What I Know, What I Want to Know, What I Learned) to deal with problems with student information accuracy. Concludes that the extension of the K-W-L strategy provided opportunities for the public school students to research, check resources, and evaluate the reliability and validity of information before…

Tells a story of children with learning problems responding to scientific inquiry while practicing their literacy learning in ways their teachers never anticipated. Notes the students exhibited greater focus, more positive interactions, and a sustained interest. Suggests that the children not only learned scientific concepts, but also had many…

Presents a discussion, almost a debate, about using trade books in science teaching. Suggests that teachers should exercise caution in selecting trade books for their science classes, not simply default to trade books just because they and their students might be more comfortable with this form of literature than with science texts. (SG)

Suggests that students are savvy in their understanding of reading motivation. Suggests that if teachers listen to students and attend to what they say about classroom instruction and reading materials, schools can have profound effects on students' motivation, engagement, and ultimately, achievement. (SG)

Determines elementary teachers' knowledge of: current children's literature; children's books in six literary genres; and activities to promote students' recreational reading. Replicates a 1981 study to determine the level of knowledge possessed by today's teachers concerning children's literature and methods of increasing students' reading for…