Presents three simple exercises (involving analogies, word relationships, and closed sorts) designed to reinforce vocabulary and concepts from content area textbooks. (RS)

Reviews the Secondary and College Reading Inventory, an informal reading inventory developed for students at and above the middle school level. Considers the inventory to be a useful resource in reading clinics, resource rooms, and general classrooms. (RS)

Describes an experimental Young Author's conference for secondary school students. Notes that bringing together young writers and professional authors provides incentive for writing, as well as an authentic audience and purpose. (RS)

Argues that graphs and charts are cases of document structures introduced in previous columns: combined lists, intersecting lists, and nested lists. Explores pie charts and various aspects of bar charts as they relate to other document structures presented in this series. (RS)

Reviews the revised edition of the Test of Reading Comprehension (TORC). Finds the test to be an interesting and unique approach to the assessment of reading comprehension. Notes that the test is consistent with current philosophies related to the nature of reading comprehension. (RS)

Examines the correlation between explicit positive or neutral comments by tutors and improvement in high school students' competency test scores. (RAE)

Argues that educators have the intent and the means to develop students who can reason and reflect across all content areas. Outlines three principles involved in teaching critical thinking. (RS)

Describes a 15-minute, open book test which covers assigned reading material in a biology class and which encourages students to actually read and learn from their text. (SR)

Describes a process (AIR: Achievement, Improvement, Reflection) that helps students organize their portfolios and see their own achievement and improvement. (SR)

Maintains that, despite their guilt about books they "ought to" be reading, teachers can trust themselves to guide their own reading in worthwhile ways. Offers a personal example of how reading books leads to more books. (SR)

Discusses three measures of process assessment, describing checklists, conferences, and self-assessment that focus on the writing process and what writers do as they write. (SR)

Discusses the revised Extended Anticipation Guide, which is designed to reveal students' misconceptions about topic and to help students to understand exposition. (PRA)

Describes Make-a-Place (MAP), a creative activity for developing map literacy in which students imagine a hypothetical place and draw a map of it. (PRA)

Describes how a reading teacher capitalized on her students' interest in sports to encourage them to read and write. (PRA)

Discusses how portfolios can assist middle-school teachers in placing graduating students in English class at the high school level. Illustrates issues involved by using the example of Elvis Presley completing his portfolio. (RS)