Reading experts have consistently cited the importance of independent reading, reading for pleasure, and fostering "a love of reading." Unfortunately, fanning the fire of fan readership is not so easy in the service of our clear-cut and standards-aligned curricula, except perhaps in small, carefully channeled doses. Moreover, the impetus for such…

Beginning with the premise that pleasure is a driving force in life, this article examines the relationships between pleasure, schooling and society across the past century. Through the examination of school texts, narratives, and histories of literacy instruction, a case is made that part of the move away from keeping pleasure at the heart of…

Examines a young girl's abridgment of Mara Kay's novel "Masha," focusing on the selection processes she used. Suggests that text selected for the abridgment had personal significance, while less significant or negative text was omitted. Concludes that the experience gave shape and meaning to the girl's own growing up. (MM)

Relates an anecdote illustrating the variety of ways people can approach reading and suggests that young readers are frequently much more aware of the reading experience than parents suspect. Offers suggestions for parents to encourage their children's literary response. (HTH)

A study was conducted, as a means to encourage literacy beyond "book reading" that stressed the importance of taking into account the range of literacy events that exist in people's lives everyday. It was found that literacy learning could take place within the everyday context of living, and that these events can reveal the kinds of mental…

Reconsiders the nature of literature as a school subject. Discusses the notion that school literature is different from reading literature outside school. Discusses three anomalies: the text and the textbook; educators' idolatry of "naive readers" whose heads are to be stuffed; and the roles of the reader and writer in school programs.…

Describes "story drama," a technique in which the texts of stories or novels are presented as plays, and shows how it can be used to teach content areas in elementary grades. (ARH)

Explores the enormous attraction for young readers of series books (such as Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and currently "The Baby-Sitters Club"). Discusses what children might learn from such reading, often thought of as pap literature by adults. (SR)

Describes what some fifth-grade students read in the summer and why. Discusses 39 children's books in the following categories: summer experiences, trips and journeys, family experiences, and the lives of children in troubled times. Offers an excerpt from a discussion of middle school readers in response to reading the books on children in…

Presents the book lists created by NCTE's Teachers' Choices project, which aimed to identify trade books that offer high potential for literary discovery and exploration within the regular reading program. Divides the books into three lists: primary, intermediate, and advanced. (SRT)

Discusses (1) the practice of giving examinations and how this contradicts current theory about the writing process, (2) how students spontaneously became involved in reading and writing activities, and (3) the implications of not teaching traditional grammar. (SRT)

Reports on a study of grade 6 reluctant readers, identifying factors that served as barriers to the students' voluntary reading habits, finding them varied and complex. Points to several areas in which schools can promote voluntary reading, including choices in instructional reading, opportunities to read for enjoyment, and access to high-interest…

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)