Noting that professional development activities are a key component in the continuous process of improving instruction, this guide assists schools that are considering a visit to a Leadership and Learning Best Practice site (Illinois schools that have demonstrated a commitment to the reading best practices as identified by the Best Practices and…

An approach to teaching writing and reading to learning disabled adolescents involves controlling the vowel from the simplist word constructions to the most difficult of orthographic constructions. Teaching strategies are based on a model that views most words as regular (categorical)--some more regular (categorical) than others. (Author)

For textbook reading assignments to be effective, teachers must develop well-defined procedures for making the assignments clear and relevant to the students and their experiences. Guidelines are offered. (Author/WD)

Suggests 10 questions teachers should ask themselves before buying materials to teach reading skills. (FL)

The author introduces 10 articles on language arts and learning disabilities (LD) and presents evidence for her contention that reading should be viewed within the context of a general model of language. For related information see EC 132 759-768. (CL)

Research conducted with a sample of 86 classroom teachers concerning the teaching of reading suggests that the needs they report must be analyzed by objective means to determine the underlying conditions that result in expression of the symptoms. (Author/MLF)

Offers guidelines in such areas as reading readiness, use of tests, organizational patterns, and the goals of reading instruction, as well as counseling principals on what they can do personally to improve a school's reading program. (IRT)

Provides the administrator with guidelines for use in evaluating teachers' implementations of basal reader programs. (HOD)

Offers guidelines for establishing a remedial reading program that will be useful and innovative and will meet the exact instructional needs of those students who need prescriptive help for overcoming deficiencies in areas such as word attack, comprehension, and study skills. (HOD)

Gives suggestions that may help teachers when they are guiding readers toward their next book. Discusses how given the right book, young adults who are pressured in real life, may be able to relax and think. Considers three of the author's books that offer this. Includes a brief review of each novel and quotes from the books. (SG)

Lists advantages and disadvantages of statewide testing. Presents examples of highly specific objectives, as emphasized by realism as a philosophy of education. Considers the advantages idealism/perennialism, as a philosophy of instruction, has in a quality reading curriculum. (SG)

Presents a brief discussion of critical topics addressed in fantasy literature that can help build a foundation for bringing this well-loved genre into the classroom in a meaningful way. Considers fantasy literature's mythic structures and heroic cycles, and religious commentary. Discusses history in fantasy, gender roles, and social commentary of…

Discusses the influence of book club experiences on teachers. Argues that teachers simply must have a ready awareness of their own reading-as-thinking processes in order to effectively share and demonstrate them to kids. Suggests the implementation of teacher book clubs. (SG)

Shows some similarities and differences between readability formulas and leveling procedures and reports some current large-scale uses of readability formulas. Presents a dictionary definition of readability and leveling, and a history and background of readability and leveling. Discusses what goes into determining readability and leveling scores.…

Discusses the concept of movement first in the broader sense and then seeks an alternative viewpoint on analyzing movement in illustrated children's literature. Emphasizes movement in relation to the characters, inspired by ideas from modern dance. Draws examples from the illustrations and texts of the Moomin books by Finish artist and author Tove…