Current standards push for elementary students to have text-based and text-centric discussions of what they read. This study explored what bilingual third-grade students talked about during small-group text-based discussions of informational texts. The author conducted a qualitative analysis of 10 video-recorded discussions, five of books matched…

Authentic learning experiences are those in which students engage with texts as well as the behaviors of reading and writing within contexts of real-world use beyond traditional academic use. This study provides quantitative analysis of how students (n = 200) engaged with an adult pen pal in a shared literacy experience. Findings indicate that…

In order for students to learn how to construct meaning from text, teachers must apply instructional strategies that will help readers transition from simple decoding of words to fluent word identification. This article will provide an overview of the literature related to the role of fluency in reading; explain research-based recommendations for…

Perhaps educators shy away from serious consideration of "fun" because the term is typically associated with the kinds of activities found on the playground rather than in the classroom. According to the first, third, and fifth-graders involved in this study however, different definitions of fun can be applied in different contexts and these…

This study investigates the effectiveness of multiple fluency interventions on a single subject in grade three. Fluency interventions, including choral reading, echo reading, repeated reading, audio book modeling, and teacher modeling were implemented over a period of eight weeks. Results indicated that using multiple fluency strategies, rather…

Reports findings of a study in which third-grade students gave reasons why children and adults should read. Reveals that the children saw reading as a utilitarian activity both for children and adults. (FL)

During the spring of 2004, we conducted research exploring the emotions of struggling readers. Specifically we were interested in finding out how school contexts, curriculum, and relationships influence students' experiences of struggle. Students in this study were 14 first, second, and third graders identified for reading intervention at their…

Describes the concept of collaborative action research. Contributes to the current inquiry regarding the use of portfolios, with specific attention to their use in third-grade settings. Highlights the advantages of collaborative research among educators. (HB)

Examines how teachers allocate instructional time in reading classes. Indicates that teachers used 34% of time in reading and responding; 24.89% in listening and discussing; 8.36% waiting; 20.28% completing skill development; 7.52% in telling, writing, and narrating; 3.47% in other activities. Notes that the recommendation that time spent reading…

Indicates that it is feasible to include selected expressive and receptive language activities (focusing on syntactic-semantic relationships) into reading instruction for primary grade students. (FL)