Describes an approach to college developmental reading using topics chosen by students. Students develop skills including researching, reading for main ideas, outlining, summarizing, and critical thinking in gathering information and gaining understanding of the topic. Suggests that when studying a topic of their choosing, students maintain more…

Presents an annotated bibliography of bibliographies, guides, reference works, and journal articles supporting literature-based instruction. Includes annotated bibliographies concerning storytelling, multicultural education, and teaching methods. (MJP)

In the form of a teaching case, this paper recounts the difficulties of an English teacher whose reading list was challenged as being racist. In introductory materials, the paper explains that teaching cases help develop students' abilities to spot issues and frame problems in an ambiguous, complex teaching situation. The paper presents the case…

Intended primarily for classroom teachers, this book discusses the genre of nonfiction, the link between nonfiction and elementary curriculum, and specific ways to integrate nonfiction into the elementary classroom. The book's 16 essays and their authors are as follows: (1) "Fact or Fiction?" (Russell Freedman); (2) "The Evolution…

Outlines diverse strategies (contextual clues, palindromes, figurative language/idioms, etc.) for increasing vocabulary skills of gifted readers in the lower primary grades, using children's literature to supplement good tradebooks. (NKA)

Discusses the effects of a sustained silent reading (SSR) program on school administrators, teachers, librarians, and the students. Offers suggestions on setting up an SSR program. (SRT)

Advocates using the adolescent novel as a source of independent reading material in the two-year college reading program with adults with low reading skills. Includes an annotated bibliography of 23 appropriate novels available in paperback. (MKM)

Provides an annotated bibliography and suggested teaching activities for units on the Great Depression and World War II. The materials support inquiry into the causes of the Great Depression and World War II and how these events transformed U.S. society. The annotated bibliography includes novels, memoirs, biographies, and political studies. (MJP)

Advocates introducing children to other cultures through the use of trade books illustrating social studies themes. Outlines ways to build a better understanding of cultures through interest created by accurate and well-written books. Briefly reviews three books for the elementary, intermediate, and young adult audience. (MJP)

These exercises and examples pertain to readability information presented in preceding articles. They are designed to help speech language pathologists test their intuitions about word and text difficulty and to see readability data from a number of quantitative formulas applied to passages across a wide range of levels. (Contains 8 references.)…

Recommends establishing literature study groups as early as the primary grades. Outlines the steps for implementing a group and describes several classroom experiences with them. Includes a discussion of follow-up activities, and a bibliography of related works. (MJP)

Praises the Laura Ingalls Wilder books for their realistic portrayal of 19th-century prairie life. Recommends using the books as source material for a variety of social studies classes. Provides a list of suggested activities collected under broad topics including housing, unusual weather phenomena, medical care, and clothing. (MP)

Helping teachers to discover approaches and techniques that fit their teaching style and their teaching situation, this book presents as fairly, completely, and clearly as possible the major approaches and techniques of reading instruction that research and practice have indicated to be successful. Based on the idea that the best reading programs…

Designed for use by students in grades 5 through 9, this annotated bibliography of nearly 600 titles of fiction and nonfiction also serves as a resource for teachers, librarians, and parents in search of titles that might catch the attention of junior high and middle school students. The book presents annotations of books published in 1991 or…

This publication describes 40 fiction and nonfiction titles for grades 5 through 12 that will get the attention of even the most reluctant readers. Books range from humor and romance to adventure, mystery, and the supernatural. The titles were chosen based on the following criteria: recent publication date; relatively short length; appealing…