The importance of independent reading is advocated for success both in school and out of school. The following four strategies are presented to stimulate children's interest in reading and to assist the teacher in providing an environment in which independent reading becomes a student practice: (1) provide opportunities for students to see, hear,…

Like Humpty Dumpty after the fall from the wall, language does not work effectively when it is not whole. For many students, the reading problems they begin to experience in the third or fourth grade are caused by the basic skills manner in which beginning reading is taught. Recognizing the limitations of basic skills instruction and the genre of…

This article suggests the following ways of making material easier for adults to read: using layout and print size to make meaning clear; making audio recordings and simplified versions of printed matter; and increasing the relevance of the content to the reader. Intended for teachers of adults in reading programs, the study also contains a…

Intended to help parents and teachers select books for young people that reflect the actual interests of adolescents, this booklet discusses titles that both appeal to teenagers and help adults gain insight into their needs, their concerns, and their values. Titles of chapters in the booklet are as follows: (1) "Are Young Adult Books…

Discusses the role of librarians in terms of their responsibility to examine the social content of children's literature and then decide whether that content is appropriate for a particular child based on possible biases. (CLB)

Describes two interactive computer programs of juvenile literature that young readers can use to search for books they might enjoy reading. The hardware and software requirements, database features, search strategies, and topics included in the databases are discussed. (13 references) (CLB)

Argues that Richard Wright's "Black Boy" is appropriate for ninth-grade students because it combines an exciting story of survival with effective prose, forces readers to try to understand their own experiences in the light of the protagonist's, and intimately involves students in such universal concerns as suffering, violence, and…

Provides a rationale for using bibliotherapy, then examines the proper way to administer it. (FL)

This book provides a straightforward approach to finding and recommending good novels based on what sparks a reader's interest. With emphasis on award-winning fiction, the guide features more than 500 novels published between 1990 and 2001. This companion title uses the same easy-access organization used in the original "Now Read This: A Guide to…

This book for early childhood educators is a practical guide for developing literacy in children between 3 and 7 years of age. Although many aspects of literacy are addressed, such as reading, speaking, listening, and writing, the predominant focus of the book is on reading. The book is not about theory, although theoretical aspects and current…

Suggests implementation of wide reading programs so that social studies teachers can accommodate various reading levels in their classrooms. Options include parallel texts at different levels, tapes of readings at lowest levels, and individual reading of articles and books at different reading levels. (KC)

Discusses elements other than reading level that can affect ease of understanding vocational materials. Groups these elements into four major areas: (1) vocabulary, (2) sentence structure, (3) organization (the way sentences are arranged into paragraphs), and (4) relevance (the way the author relates the topic to the reader's experience). (LRA)

Suggests that interesting and relevant reading materials can be collected for developmental reading courses by asking faculty from various disciplines to submit short, original articles on topics of their choice within their area of expertise. Describes the successful use of this approach. (DMM)

Contends that, because of rising textbook costs and related factors, many college psychology teachers are interested in paperback textbooks. Reports on a review of 11 psychology textbooks. Includes 4 tables of comparison data and a list of the 11 texts used in the study. (CFR)

This pamphlet lists authors and titles of a collection of 554 young adolescent books presented to 40 Indiana colleges and universities. Books in the collection listed in the pamphlet were chosen by librarians, consultants, and teachers from five Indiana middle schools. A chart listing contact persons and the location (curriculum center in…