Shares the collaboration of the authors in the development of a reading/writing, literature-based curriculum. Uses "Sesame Street" print materials to connect home and school. (MG)

Offers a current perspective on the state of family literacy. Defines family literacy. Discusses family literacy initiatives, future directions, program planning and initiatives, and dissemination activities. (SR)

Describes current literacy practices in Australia and the history of influential approaches to literacy instruction. Discusses the unique contexts of professional development and practice that may make Australian approaches to literacy different from whole-language movements in American schools. (SR)

Describes how reading specialists could function as collaborative consultants, spending the preponderance of their time working with other adults to meet the needs of students. Discusses curriculum development, instructional problem solving, assessment, and parent liaison. (SR)

Shows how clusters of short sentences found in basal readers can be combined into more complex structures, reinforcing reading skills as children write. (FL)

Suggests that picture nouns are useful in teaching reading, writing, oral vocabulary, and thinking skills to all children, including handicapped students and those who speak another language. (JC)

Suggests ways a teacher who is interested in performing Piagetian testing might persuade a principal of the validity of the tests, and offers insight into the connection between cognitive development and reading achievement. (JC)

Describes ten practical ideas for classroom teaching at the elementary level, including "roulette" writing, story map raps, and theme cubes. (MM)

Reports the development of a 227-word, primary-level list that was drawn from words appearing in more than 400 books for beginning readers. (FL)

Offers several strategies for increasing reading rate without descreasing comprehension. (FL)