Describes how a fourth-grade teacher applied Nancie Atwell's "formula" for teaching writing via writing workshops. Notes that, a year later, the teacher realized that nobody else's approach could work in her classroom, after which she developed her own structure. (SR)

Describes a process for presenting and learning new vocabulary in middle-grade classrooms that focuses on context, questions involving interpretation, and using the word. (SR)

Presents annotations of 29 newly published trade books for children and adolescents that teachers find to be exceptional in curriculum use. Notes that many annotations include specific curriculum use suggestions. Groups annotations into primary (K-2), intermediate (grades 3-5), and advanced (grades 6-8). (RS)

Studies attitudes of 12 middle school teachers and students concerning what makes a teacher good at conducting conferences. Identifies two key themes: the role of text-oriented instructor and of student-oriented nurturer. Notes that teachers considered the role of nurturer as being most important. Discusses aspects of the nurturing role. (SR)

In a replication of two studies, the author found that sixth and eighth graders performed comparably to their counterparts of 60 years ago on reading comprehension and vocabulary tests. (MKM)

Describes how one middle school band and orchestra teacher, in response to his principal's call for schoolwide attention to improving student literacy, engaged students in reading improvement while also increasing musical knowledge. Describes how students each week read one or more short, music-related articles and complete a brief writing…

Shows that middle-school students with autism were able to recall parts of a series of stories that were read to them. Finds that recall improved when stories around a theme were presented in a series, and was further enhanced when students drew and wrote about the stories and referred to their work when answering questions. (SR)

Considers how if educators view students' first language as a problem that needs to be eradicated, perhaps they make learning English more difficult. Describes an approach focusing on cognates used with 20 middle school students in their first year of a transitional program in south Florida. (SG)

Describes how a student managed and operated book store put inexpensive, high-quality literature into the hands of students at 61 middle and junior high schools in Indiana. (MG)