In "Beyond the Common Core: Examining 20 Years of Literacy Priorities and Their Impact on Struggling Readers," Cassidy et al. (2016) suggest that the emphasis on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS, National Governors Association [NGA] Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers [CCSSO], 2010) has had…

When the editors of "Literacy Research and Instruction" invited Donna Alvermann and Glenn Jackson to respond to "Beyond the Common Core: Examining 20 Years of Literacy Priorities and Their Impact on Struggling Readers," they both instantly recognized the strengths and limitations in their collaboration. In the strengths corner,…

This paper responds to Michael Rosen's blog entries, "How Genre Theory Saved the World", arguing that genre theory in the tradition of systemic functional linguistics (SFL) has made an important contribution to language and literacy pedagogy. It emerged in the Australian context in about 1980 and was initially developed in response to…

The author begins her comments on "Reviewing Adolescent Literacy Reports: Key Components and Critical Questions" by commending the authors for taking on this rather massive project. The project required not only locating and reading the many lengthy reports that exist on adolescent literacy but also sifting through the numerous claims, ideas, and…

The International Reading Association's Position Statement on Young Adolescents' Literacy Learning states, "It is during the middle years of schooling that most students refine their reading preferences, become sophisticated readers of informational text, and lay the groundwork for the lifelong reading habit." As the National Assessment of…

Argues that Frederick Douglass's "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave" should be read in its entirety, and that it should be considered a classic text for its continuing impact on the minds of readers from 1845 to the present. Cites incidents in which college students have marveled at Douglass's prose, and how…

Draws attention to the contradictions exposed in debates about literacy pedagogy which have traditionally excluded actual pedagogical practices from the dialogue. Advocates classroom interactions be allowed access to the "literacy crisis" debate. (RS)

Asserts that student resistance to assigned reading is an essential part of the process of critiquing and intervening in oppressive ideologies. Argues for using resistance to help students see where they are located within ideology and within the interplay of conflicting ideologies and their own experience. (PRA)

Explains that zines are self-published alternatives to commercial magazines. Includes a conversational interview between a university researcher and the three zinesters who produce "Burnt Beauty." Describes the content and distribution of a zine, readers' reaction to it, and the possibility of including zines in school-based literacy…

In this paper, reading is conceived as a spiritual gift that can help readers towards an understanding of being. The image of the well and the act of drawing water is employed to illustrate the relation of the spiritual and the aesthetic. The term "well-being" in relation to reading is used here to draw attention to the importance of ontology in…

Argues that the field of education has produced and absorbed a steady barrage of information about the threats and causes of illiteracy. Contends that the field has managed to demystify the wondrous and profound acts of reading and writing. Concludes that research on reader response has much to offer in the rehumanization of literacy. (RS)

The author asserts that literacy teacher training programs should design opportunities for teachers to become more reflective about the literate self. Graduate students were queried about the relationship between their personal, historical, and professional literate selves. They documented their memories of reading and considered what it means to…

In this article, the author explains why he considers "Animal Dreams" by Barbara Kingsolver, "Ceremony" by Leslie Marmon Silko, and "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan as the most desirable books for students. He cites that several questions guide him in selecting these books. These questions include the following: (1) Why recommend certain texts to…

Many theories have been developed to try to explain humor, among them, the social theory; psychoanalytic theories based on Freud; cognitive theories which identify stages corresponding to those of Piaget; and eclectic theories which combine elements of all the theories. The developmental stages of humor parallel the intellectual and emotional…

Elaborated by a group of teacher educators and reading researchers, this monograph serves as a forum for responses to the federally sponsored 1985 report, "Becoming a Nation of Readers." It consists of the following essays, listed here with their authors: (1) "Reading Instruction and Underlying Metaphors in 'Becoming a Nation of…