This guide (originally published in 1985) introduces the visual approach to writing children's books, an approach which can help a writer release a flow of images and avoid wordiness. The aim of the guide is to teach the fledgling writer/illustrator to ask important questions about the structure of the intended book (and to find the answers) and…

This book is the third in a series of books for a literature-inspired curriculum for grades 1-3 organized around thematic units. The book's "story stretchers" are a means to extend children's enthusiasm for stories and to better connect children's books and teaching ideas with other areas of the curriculum. The book contains 18 units or…

Based on Louise Rosenblatt's transactional theory of reader response, the studies collected in this book present findings and recommendations that contribute to the understanding of how children create meaning from stories, how they acquire literacy skills to express that meaning, and what role educators play in these literary processes. The book…

Exploring the range and diversity of humorous literature for children, this book attempts to remedy the past neglect of children's humorous books by taking humor seriously. The first five chapters of the book discuss what children find funny and at what age, different kinds of humor found in children's literature, passages of humorous tone in…

Conceived as a twentieth anniversary tribute to the Reading Is Fundamental Program, this book contains a varied collection of stories, poems, and drawings by some of America's most famous authors and artists of books for children, relating real and imaginary childhood memories that celebrate the joys of reading and the magic of children's…

This book aims to show parents how to instill the love of reading in their children and how to nurture that love throughout their lives, even in the face of television, video, and computer entertainment. The book is based on the concept of "reading pathways," developed after more than 20 years of classroom observation and interviews. It…

This guide describes a program that turns ordinary show-and-tell time into a theme-related sharing time, or "sharing circle." In this program, each child is assigned a special sharing day once a month, with the sharing days evenly distributed throughout the month and with no more than three children sharing on a particular day. Monthly…

This guide contains detailed and thoughtful descriptions of 175 recommended books that teachers and parents can read to children--this revised and expanded edition carries a new section on reading aloud from infancy to kindergarten. Following a foreword by "Mister Rogers," chapters in the guide are entitled: (1) Why Bother? The Case for Reading…

Designed for classes in children's literature in English and education departments and in library schools, the emphases in this book are on understanding children and their needs, on perspectives and background, on criteria and types of literature, and on artists and authors. The first part provides an overview of children's needs and interests,…

Noting that a creative approach to early childhood education allows teachers to reinforce the foundation of achievement by encouraging and expanding upon children's play activities, this book provides teacher-developed ideas and strategies for creating learning communities in the early childhood classroom. The beginning chapter introduces creative…

This book emphasizes the reading process by suggesting effective ways to read with children, to engage children as thinkers, and to model the processes of studying a text. The book's "story stretchers" are a means to extend children's enthusiasm for stories and to better connect children's books and teaching ideas with other areas of the…

The booklet presents 15 articles describing innovative social studies materials and teaching techniques. It was designed to help classroom teachers develop and implement social studies programs at the elementary school level. The materials were developed by teachers in education programs at the University of North Dakota from 1968-77. The first…

Based on the notion that children become literate by trying to read and write in a supportive atmosphere with interesting books, rather than being instructed in isolated language skills, this book offers teachers ideas for using children's literature and related activities as an alternative to basal readers to make learning language skills…