Presents an overview of the topic of this special issue, "Literacy through University-School Collaboration." Gives brief summaries and comments about each of the articles in the issue. (HB)

Concludes that literature can serve the basic skills by providing a very powerful incentive for their mastery. (MKM)

Provides a rationale for teachers' use of reading for enjoyment as a means of developing reading ability and literature appreciation as opposed to a basic skills approach to teaching reading. (MKM)

Reports on the extent of illiteracy in the United States and explores various definitions of literacy. (GT)

Explores three different kinds of university-school collaboration. Describes how the traditional boundaries between universities and schools are being bridged. Advocates collaborative relationships that engage participants in cooperative efforts to design alternative practices and models of teaching. (HB)

Presents a dialogue between a university faculty member and an elementary teacher. Explores the rich relationship afforded by collaborative efforts. (HB)

Reports on a study that investigated whether significant relationships exist between reading abilities of underprepared students as measured by vocabulary, comprehension, and total reading scores and spelling scores as measured by a dictation format, a multiple choice format, and independently produced discourse. (FL)

Illustrates the development of new roles for university faculty and classrooms. Describes a year-long book club project in which teachers and university collaborators accepted multiple and changing roles. Outlines research tracking the book club program. Clarifies the benefits of such collaborative efforts. (HB)

Describes the development and testing of a model for counseling preservice teachers and for altering basic courses to meet the individual needs of a heterogeneous college student body. (FL)

Recommends research-based comprehensive changes in basal reading instruction. Points to the need for purposeful, direct, and text-related reading skill instruction, and for a change in the sequence of the reading lesson, with basal skills being taught prior to reading of the text. (ARH)

Presents a dialogue between a university faculty member and an elementary teacher. Explores the rich relationship afforded by collaborative efforts. Demonstrates how the connections of methods courses to classroom settings can strengthen preservice training for beginning teachers. (HB)

Describes the concept of collaborative action research. Contributes to the current inquiry regarding the use of portfolios, with specific attention to their use in third-grade settings. Highlights the advantages of collaborative research among educators. (HB)