Describes how learning of important strategies in reading and writing is fostered by organizing instruction so that students benefit from both teacher-led and student-led instruction. Discusses text choices, integrating reading and writing with strategy instruction, the teacher-led shared-text pattern, and the student-selected singular text…

Argues that teachers should apply the same techniques to teach expository writing in social studies textbooks as they do with teaching children's literature. Presents four activities that can be used in whole class and small group instruction. Provides examples and a 13-item bibliography of more information. (CFR)

Describes an approach, called "Questioning the Author," that is targeted toward getting young readers to engage with their textbooks--to really consider ideas deeply. Notes that the approach attempts to actualize the presence of an author, understand the author as a fallible transmitter of ideas, and transform author's ideas into readers' ideas.…

Describes Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies for First-Grade Readers, a type of classwide peer tutoring designed specifically to help general-education teachers prevent, or at least reduce, early reading failure. A description of program components, empirical evidence of its effectiveness, and case studies are presented. (Author/CR)

Describes how the author worked with one struggling reader to help him learn to make balanced and consistent use of different cues for word identification (graphophonic cues, how words look, grammatical appropriateness of words, sentence meaning, or background knowledge). (SR)

Describes how one elementary level special educator taught reading to special needs students by implementing a word wall using brain-based learning and constructivist concepts, which led to student and teacher empowerment. The paper also looks at the benefits of using authentic literature-based reading strategies. (SM)

Describes two classroom activities that can be implemented in accordance with the best practices revealed by current research on reading instruction with learning disabled students. Describes what research suggests for promoting comprehension for students with reading difficulties. Describes instructional sequences for two literacy activities,…

Describes the Arkansas Comprehensive School Reform Model, which focuses on staff development and a collaborative support system for teaching reading in the elementary grades. Reports that preliminary results indicate an average increase of at least 20% on standardized testing scores for students in model classrooms. (NB)

Describes a six-trait reading model called the TRAITS of an Effective Reader that provides a reading assessment framework for classrooms, schools, and school districts. Explains trait-based reading assessment and discusses the six traits that make up this model: conventions, comprehension, context, interpretations, synthesis, and evaluation. (NB)

The first section describes visual and aural reading strategies for a women's literacy class, using literary analysis of a poem. The second recounts the same group's experience writing persuasive letters or short reports based on a museum visit, which enabled hands-on learning and integration of local and student knowledge. (SK)

Explores the unique reading strategies needed for the World Wide Web. Considers additions needed in the repertoire of teaching reading strategies when computers are the medium. Argues that Internet technology has had a significant impact upon reading strategies, resulting in a need to reshape thinking about classroom reading practices. (SG)

If a child does not learn to read in the early grades, there are few opportunities for them to catch up. Therefore, the extent of a child's exposure to reading before the early school years is not only important, but critical. In this column, the author suggests ten easy ways to make reading a part of every young child's day: (1) Read and reread…

Guided reading is a major component of a comprehensive or balanced reading program. Most teachers understand the value of guided reading in the classroom but have difficulty managing effective implementation. They often ask, "What will the other students be doing when I am working with a guided reading group, and how do I manage all the children…

Despite the fact that recidivism can be reduced by an increase in literacy, little information is available about effective educational programming, especially in reading, for adjudicated youth. A short-term, one-to-one tutoring program using low cost materials proved to be successful in increasing reading performance for 12 adjudicated youth.…

Everything a persons needs to know in life is learned in Kindergarten is a popular adage among teachers. In this article, the author relates how everything she needed to know about teaching she learned from her own children. She relates that from the moment of their birth, she had determined that her four children would learn to read before they…