The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Opportunity." Contents include: (1) Students Deserve to Read Diverse Books --…

One important concept in the development of number knowledge is the cardinality principle, or knowing that the last word counted refers to the total number of items within the set. One prominent theory suggests that children learn this concept by observing sets being both counted and labeled with the correct set size (e.g., 1-2-3! 3!), thus…

Providing descriptive annotations of the best children's picture books published in the last decade, this comprehensive overview is perfect for librarians, teachers, parents, daycare providers, and anyone who works with young children. It is both an excellent tool for collection development and an abundant resource for planning storytimes and…

This paper presents tips that parents can use to help their children become proficient readers. They are: (1) Talk to your children and then listen; (2) Create a language-rich environment; (3) Read with your children; (4) Help students find reading materials (5) When giving gifts or asked for gift ideas for your child, recommend books, magazine…

The National Research Center on Learning Disabilities (NRCLD) has completed two large studies to look at how responsiveness to intervention (RTI) works at the first-grade level for preventing and identifying specific learning disabilities (SLD) in reading and math. The purpose of this report is to help professionals and parents understand what RTI…

These 100 handy reproducible book lists can be used to instantly create hand-outs for teachers and parents (as well as for older readers), to add to newsletter, or to post on a Web site or bulletin board. Based on the most common needs of educators and librarians who work with young readers, these lists focus on new titles, as well as classics…

Suggestions, directed for parents, are presented for evaluating science books and magazines for children. A brief annotated bibliography of several science periodicals is included. (CB)

Discusses the development of the market for books for infants; presents reasons why even young infants can benefit from being read to; and provides guidelines for selection of appropriate books for babies. The guidelines include sturdiness and developmental appropriateness. A list of recommended books is appended. (SKC)

This brochure presents ideas for creating a special place for a family's reading materials--a"family library"--and for helping children build their own personal collections. The brochure offers a sampling of activities that will help families display and keep track of a growing collection of newspapers, magazines, and books. The brochure…

Compiled by Bob Keeshan, TV's "Captain Kangaroo," this book is a reference guide for books appropriate for children through age eight. Books are organized alphabetically, according to children's age group, and include Bob Keeshan's comments as well as author, publisher, publishing date, and price. Each entry also lists values the book teaches,…

Children learn to love reading by sharing quality books. Intended for children's librarians, media specialists, teachers, day care providers, and parents, this book will make it easy and fun to conduct book club meetings with little preparation time. Everything needed to start a weekly book club at school or at the library is included--detailed…

Suggesting there are ways to make reading and writing more attractive to middle school students, this booklet offers strategies for parents to use to help their students keep reading. Sections of the booklet are: "Why Should I Encourage My Middle School Student To Read for Fun?"; "'You Don't Care What I Like': Listening, Talking,…

Including books that might not be discovered or fully appreciated by children without introduction by a knowledgeable adult, this book presents annotations of more than 150 trade books appropriate for children and adolescents, complete with teachers' suggestions for curriculum use. Entries in the book are grouped into primary (K-2), intermediate…

This short guide, intended for parents, offers 10 suggestions from "Becoming a Nation of Readers," the Report of the National Commission on Reading, along with specific ideas to help children become better readers: (1) help children acquire a wide range of knowledge; (2) talk with children about their experiences; (3) encourage children…

This document encourages parents to find greater enjoyment in using the children's library and to become reading partners with their children. The pamphlet suggests ways for parents and children to use the library creatively to explore wordless story books. A list of 25 suggested wordless picture books is included. (RS)