Louise Rosenblatt's transactional theory of reader response has been widely accepted as a means of resisting the hegemony of New Criticism. This article argues that Rosenblatt and the New Critics were pioneers of parallel, rather than opposing, pedagogical traditions, shaped by the shared influence of I. A. Richards and John Dewey. The article…

Through their study of classroom talk about and around literary text, the authors discovered that their application of Rosenblatt's (1938/1995, 1978) "aesthetic" stance to elementary (primarily Grades 4-6) students' affective responses to literary text uniformly lacked the simultaneous articulation of "the real impact between the…

Describes a textbook approach to teaching literature that deemphasizes recitation and emphasizes transactions between readers and texts, involving readers' personal knowledge, emotion, and experience. Sets up a reading plan including prereading, postreading, personal response, and shared response. (TB)

Reasons that teachers of literature should have as their focus not what writers do but what readers do in the process of reading literature. Concludes that readers construct literary works based on their own experience, education, and ability to imagine in response to a writer's suggestions. (JAD)

Describes an educator's attempt to raise multicultural issues in the classroom through a course centered on Zora Neale Hurston's "Their Eyes Are Watching God." Maintains that educators have a responsibility to raise issues of cultural diversity in learning communities that provide ways for student to engage in thinking that expands their…

Attempts to represent the complexity of the web of literary relationships and their transformational space using fragmentary texts that circle around the novel "The English Patient": self as relationship and the dialogic engagement with a book by the patient himself; and the relationship and engagement with this book and with each other of a group…

Discusses the role of literature in the secondary school English curriculum, then examines the current state of literary criticism and analysis in the classroom. (FL)

Reviews the use of the ERIC index term "Reader Text Relationship" with a view to deriving a tentative definition of the term. (FL)

Studies 53 undergraduate preservice English teachers to determine their critical orientation to the teaching of literary analysis in the classroom prior to their taking methods courses. Finds that these future teachers were already convinced of the necessity of multiple interpretations. (TB)

Considers 1 student's responses to literature assigned to a 10th-grade English class in the midwest. Asks if students can be expected to "decontextualize" their personal responses to literary texts. Questions the viability of such decontextualized readings. (HB)

Discusses the connections between the study of literary texts, language, and composition and the impact of these connections on English instruction and English programs. (SRT)

Explores why Chinese students' responses to American literature appear dogmatic and predictable. Examines how Chinese typically study literature by considering (1) the officially recognized relationship between literature and politics; (2) the traditional aims and methods of instruction in middle school; and (3) students' responsibilities in their…

In the last ten years, colleges of education have pledged written support to addressing issues of diversity. Mission statements and revised syllabi have been common elements in this movement for inclusiveness, and teacher candidates in English language arts are part of the transformation. Literature often has been considered a quick and easy way…

Responds to the common assumption among English teachers that prior knowledge of a subject enhances students' ability to comprehend materials that they read. Presents evidence from the think-aloud protocols of undergraduate students to argue that having prior experience of the subjects treated in texts does not ensure that students will make…

Examines the effects of increasing adolescents' awareness of their own response strategies to reading. Illustrates the importance of ensuring that all students discover for themselves not only what they have learned, but how they have learned it. (SR)