Presents observations of 15-member literature discussion group in a fifth-grade classroom. Shows that even in such groups, intended to create a more democratic forum where students' voices are heard and valued, factors like gender, cultural background, and status play a role in whose ideas get expressed and are actually listened to. (SR)

Discusses getting children to focus as much on the process by which they do their research as on the content of the research itself. Describes a project with fifth grade students in which children orchestrate their own reading, writing, and talking as they investigate their topic. (SR)

Describes the Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) computer program developed at the University of Arizona. Explains that HOTS attempts to build thinking skills, encourage self-confidence, and improve standardized test scores, especially in reading and mathematics, among at-risk students in grades four through seven. (SG)

Discusses the possibilities for pleasure, community, and collective meaning making among fifth- and sixth-grade students and various adults (teachers, parents, and school staff) during their prolonged engagement with a single literary work, Lois Lowry's "The Giver," as they read and reread the novel, annotating the text with their…

Describes an American fourth grade classroom from the perspective of a doctoral student from the People's Republic of China. Notes greater equality among student, teacher, and textbook in the American classroom than in the hierarchical Chinese educational system. Observes that, in their writing efforts, the American students display both…

Presents five pictures of fifth grade low-achieving students involved in reading-writing activities. Presents two alternatives to current classroom practices for nonmainstream students: prize the culture of nonmainstream students; and view storytelling as another literacy. (MG)