In this article, the author states that as educators and politicians across the country continue to scratch their heads in dismay at how male secondary students seem to be lagging behind in reading, it is useful to look beyond all of the genetic, physiological, and even sociological theories so often proffered by breathless experts. Anyone who…

As teachers, our most important mission is to turn our students into readers. It sounds so simple, but it's hard work, and we're all on a deadline. Kittle describes a class in which her own expectations that students would become readers combined with a few impassioned strategies succeeded ... at least with a young man named Alan.

Something wonderful happens when children are asked to choose their own books and are given ample time to read and discuss them. They become hungry readers with an appetite for books! This simple strategy was the basis for developing the program known as PIE (Personalized Independent Enrichment) and its recipe for reading success. The goal of the…

How can teachers build students' interest and engagement in reading texts in the high school English curriculum while still providing access to challenging texts from the canon? Teachers typically expect their secondary students to read texts from the English canon because these texts offer opportunities for meaningful reflections on essential…

The reading patterns and habits of young and old are changing as reading migrates from the printed page to the computer screen. Now, new forms of expression such as remixes and mash-ups are emerging from interactive digital environments. How can school librarians help students read with understanding in dynamic digital environments? How can they…

This article discusses how Mary Curran-Hackett, an adjunct faculty member at the University of Cincinnati in the English Literature and Composition and Rhetoric Departments, was determined to hook her students on reading. She wanted to find a topic on which every single student would undoubtedly have an opinion, and if not a preconceived notion,…

In the rapidly changing globalized world, school librarians cannot prepare today's students for every possible outcome, but they can give them the skills that will make them adaptable in 21st-century learning and work settings. The mission for school library programs is to ensure that students are effective users of ideas and information by being…

Students and teachers are feeling the brunt of "No Child Left Behind," trying to make meaningful academic growth with ever decreasing resources. School library media specialist are considered one of the most valuable resources in any school building. As the ultimate "resource manager," library media specialists can contribute…

Graphic novels have been known to spark reading interest in teens. However, librarians still can not make the decision to integrate graphic novels into the book collection. In this article, the author addresses the issues related to the cataloging and classification of graphic novels.

This article deals with a child's impression of literacy. The author interviews Sophia Kazee, a kindergartner, who was asked her about her favorite books. She asked her where she reads at home and in the classroom and asked her to draw these places. The first drawing shows children reading books and Sophia reading to her teacher, Ms. Cresse. The…

Readers' advisory (RA) librarians use appeal to translate between readers and books, to make connections between readers and myriad other title possibilities based on the effects of the story. Appeal addresses the elements of books that readers respond to, the features that "draw a reader into a book" and help shape a particular reading…

The author presents 10 best digital resources for 2009. As librarians prepare for the next school year--or as public libraries develop the budget for a new fiscal year--these are the products for children and teens that should be advocated to add to one's digital collection. These include: (1) American Indian Experience; (2) Animoto…

"May I go to the bathroom?" While this hardly an unusual question from any middle-level student, the number of students who suddenly need to leave the room increases when a teacher assigns a textbook passage to read. Whether it is to use the restroom, visit their locker, or see the school nurse, these students will do just about anything to keep…

Advances in technology have caused a major shift in how students spend their time and challenged curriculum development to maintain interest and focus in the classroom. Implications are most profound in issues related to literacy due to a lack of experience and interest in reading. This article explores this issue and how it relates to teaching…

Literary reading is in dramatic decline, with fewer than half of American adults now reading literature, according to a July 2004 report by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The survey "Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America" reports drops in all groups studied, with the steepest rate of decline--28…