Describes children's reactions to a television adaptation of a juvenile novel. Finds that the children enjoyed discussing the adaptation with the interviewer and usually sought out the original book to read on their own. Concludes that both books and their televised version should be incorporated into a wider approach to teaching fiction. (MM)

Examines the content of the pamphlet "What Works: Research about Teaching and Learning." Asks (1) what it means to say it is "drawn from""Becoming a Nation of Readers"; and (2) whether the editors are guilty of political chicanery with reading research, as some have argued. (RS)

This study explores the changing role of the book in the future. The report draws on interviews with authors, publishers, booksellers, computer experts, librarians, scientists, educators, and scholars and on the experience of the Library of Congress staff. The first part, "The Culture of the Book: Today and Tomorrow," includes sections…

Describes the eight layers in Thomas Black Bull's ("When the Legends Die") journey to spiritual rebirth and stresses that students can easily identify these layers and can thereby achieve a clearer understanding of the relationship between structure and meaning in fiction. (CRH)

Looks at the effect of the communications revolution and how media and people are coming together. The changing roles and responsibilities of teachers are discussed in light of this revolution. (Contains 27 references.) (Author/KRN)

Three librarians--Barbara A. Genco from Brooklyn, New York; Eleanor K. MacDonald from Beverly Hills, California; and Betsy Hearne from Chicago, Illinois--share their perspectives on where popular literature should fit into library material selection and children's reading diets. Popular literature is defined as primarily that which has first…

Young adult literature (YAL) is an important and valuable tool for helping students learn and for motivating them to read. YAL also helps students gain insights into themselves and others. YAL (1) is written and marketed primarily for teenagers; (2) has main characters similar in age (12-25) to its readership; (3) has relatively uncomplicated plot…

Discusses subvocalization and other ways in which people read silently. Comments on authorial voice and offers ways to experiment with creative reading aloud. Notes how the proliferation of advertising, the media "explosion," and the influence of modernism in literature has changed the fundamental sense of what reading is and how to do…

Briefly reports on five out-of-school-studies and three in-school studies showing the value of free voluntary reading (FVR). The failure of direct reading instruction and its implications for developing reading skills, the components of a free reading program, and the role of writing are discussed. (34 references) (KRN)

In this article, the author asserts that it is impossible for a person who does not love reading to be a good literacy teacher. She discusses the reasons her undergraduate preservice teaching students give for having given up on reading as a pleasurable activity, presents strategies her graduate students used to begin to enjoy reading, and offers…

This paper addresses the study of children's reading interests and their attitudes toward reading as these factors relate to leisure-time reading. The problem of poor performances on measures of reading achievement by African-American children from low-income families has been studied for over 3 decades. Additionally, sociocultural and…

No one denies that students have many more distractions today than in days gone by. The need for family involvement in a child's reading progress joins a surge in American society for parents to take more responsibility for their children's character and in the condition of their communities. Some hints for parents in establishing family literacy…

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)

Addresses issue of whether free voluntary reading (FVR) is appropriate for programs whose primary goal is development of academic second-language competence, such as university-level programs for international students. Argues that FVR does have a place in these programs, even though FVR often means reading light fiction; competence gained via FVR…

For many years, educators from kindergarten to twelfth grade have approached the teaching of vocabulary, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and so forth as isolated skills, unconnected with the everyday use of reading, speaking, and writing. Such practices are now viewed with less favor, as researchers and educators approach reading and writing as…