Discusses books chosen by teachers to read themselves during sustained silent reading. Selections are arranged under the following headings: professional books, activities books, and children's literature. (FL)

Describes a year-long study in a combined fourth- and fifth-grade classroom that observed student participation in literacy learning activities. Notes that as students participated in reading, writing, and talking about quality literature, they learned to make sense of texts by using contextual clues and connecting the reading to their own…

Discusses how educators can deal with children from single-parent families and explains why single parents should be included in every dimension of the classroom family. (MG)

Reviews 38 recently published children's books in the categories of music, opera and dance, theater and film, the visual arts, architecture, crafts, and language. Offers a 105-item bibliography of books for a science curriculum to add to those reviewed in the December 1991 column. (MG)

The current accountability movement has focused on academic achievement but has circumvented issues of motivation and authentic reading materials. Many educators have challenged this direction of the reading curriculum, particularly criticizing the narrowing of the curriculum, the continued focus of teaching to the tests, the overemphasis on…

Describes ways to accelerate reading and language skills by experience stories, creative writing, and books. (TO)

Shows that a wide variety of textbook characteristics play a role in influencing teachers' selection process, and that some of these interact with teacher characteristics. (FL)

Lists and describes children's books dealing with southern and middle European Slavic culture. (RL)

Presents annotations of 32 works of children's literature that invite consideration of the wondrous possibilities of literature in the reading curriculum--from reading aloud to time set aside for independent reading, from focused instruction using paired and shared reading to engagement through book discussions, and from using literature to learn…

Asserts that certain traits and factors, such as persistence through failure and a tolerance for frustration, help children overcome life's problems. Analyzes 30 award-winning children's books from 1928 to 1987 and 14 "children's favorites" to determine if these books contain characters and plots that display resiliency. (MM)

Present brief annotations of 19 books for children and adolescents that present Latino children or adolescents and their families experiencing life, celebrating special occasions, or dealing with difficult situations. (SR)

Investigates why children are attracted to scary books, and what they find scary. Addresses children's fears through scary books and the instructional value of scary books. Discusses successful classroom experiences with scary books and notes selection considerations. Offers literature study ideas and a 100-item bibliography of scary books. (SR)

Presents and discusses the resolution concerning reading material availability that was passed by delegates at the 1980 convention of the International Reading Association in response to pressures from special interest groups. (FL)

Argues that using the themes and stories of humans' earliest heritage can enhance language and learning for children. (FL)

Suggests that teachers should provide text that supports students' changing interactions with text as they move from learning about print and how it works, to the labors of learning to decode, and on to growing independence and fluency. Highlights effective uses of simple predictable text, transitional text, decodable text, easy readers, and…