Literature circles undoubtedly foster literacy, but successful participation in literature circles requires students' social and emotional competence. The author presents findings from a study of a fifth-grade student who demonstrated socioemotional growth while participating in literature circles. Specifically, growth in intrapersonal and…

Five teacher educators discuss children's literature addressing Earth's changing climate. They present tools for evaluating the quality of resources likely to help teachers and students stimulate conceptual and emotional development rather than anxiety or oversimplification. An annotated selection of current books along with a checklist to…

Although teachers face increasing pressure to focus on academics in kindergarten, research indicates that promoting school success in young children involves integrating skills in multiple domains. For example, by using dialogic reading--a well-researched shared-reading technique--and books with strong social-emotional content, teachers can…

Enumerates ways to help early readers without negatively affecting their development in other areas, such as: (l) providing an atmosphere rich in environment print and positive role models, (2) using encouragement rather than praise as a means of reinforcing their progress, (3) exhibiting respect for the child, (4) eliminating criticism and…