Reviews 7 picture books and 15 chapter books that should appeal to readers in the intermediate grades. Discusses how the skills and interests of readers of this age are changing. (MG)

Illuminates patterns in responses to literature by analyzing one sixth grader's entries written in her literature response journal. Finds that the student's responses reveal her as an active reader and writer with unique thoughts, feelings. and opinions generated by quality children's literature. (MG)

Addresses the theme of family and workplace literacy by presenting reviews of eight books. Begins with materials teachers may find useful to share with parents and then moves on to books that can provide a broader understanding of literacy in general, especially workplace literacy. (RS)

Presents ten opportunities for using comic books in the exercise of oral, listening, reading, writing, and vocabulary skills. (DD)

Follows the reading and writing development of a young boy from first through third grade. Shares how, through storytelling, he defined a sense of himself that retained a strong connection to his primary-years personality while reaching out confidently toward the world of upper elementary classrooms that he would now be facing. (MG)

Discusses how teachers can make schools and classrooms literate environments. Presents two sets of correspondence between a teacher and her eighth grade students to show how they learned to approach reading and writing as "insiders." (HTH)

Describes how elementary school teachers encouraged poor readers and writers by having them--and the whole class--keep journals on topics they knew more about than anyone else in the class and then read the entries aloud. Discusses a three-step process approach to writing instruction derived from this successful method. (HTH)

Deplores the preoccupation with isolated skill teaching among reading teachers. Calls for reading competencies to be taught in the context of reading that has meaning, interest, and significance for the reader, and stresses the importance of instruction in the thinking strategies that contribute to mature reading. (ET)

Focuses on the issues of skills in reading instruction in New Zealand. Feels that instruction can maintain a reciprocal and mutually supportive relationship between teaching word-level strategies and comprehension strategies. (MG)

Argues that composing and comprehending are process-oriented thinking skills that are basically interrelated, and suggests ways that these skills can be taught. (JL)

Examines the value of literature response groups by gathering information about the dialogue occurring within them. Studies the content of talk, the functions of language in use, and evidence of reading comprehension. Finds that literature response groups are a good resource for helping children communicate through talk in the classroom. (MS)

Looks at how "scientifically based" literacy research promoting the direct, explicit, and systematic use of phonics and related word skills in beginning reading instruction is having a massive effect on policy and practice. Examines what this research claims to have found and what it actually shows. Discusses how it harms research,…

Presents the findings of a recent study on the writing and reading achievement of low SES children. Concludes that there is a need for more emphasis on writing for these children. (JL)

Discusses problems related to using basal readers for reading instruction. Recommends actions for local administrators and policymakers. (MG)