Offers suggestions from eight contributors, including (1) activities for speedy readers, (2) conducting a "reading roundup," (3) improving children's math vocabulary, (4) teaching syllabication, (5) displaying student work, and (6) ideas for parents of beginning readers. (FL)

Explains that the Teacher Rating of Oral Language and Literacy (TROLL) measures skills critical to the New Standards for Speaking and Listening. Notes that TROLL is used to track children's progress in language and literacy development; to inform curriculum; and to stimulate parent teacher communication. Concludes children who are busy talking,…

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)

In this year's Distinguished Educator department, we feature six educators whose research has focused on the role of early literacy in early childhood education. Each of the six addresses a vitally important aspect of early childhood literacy teaching and learning. Sections include: "Working with Families as Partners in Early Literacy," by Dorothy…

Describes research that examines the specific behaviors of mothers sharing books with their infants in order to ascertain the associations that exist between specific maternal reading behaviors and infants' intellectual development. (FL)

Noting that recommendations for integrating elementary reading and writing often fail to provide adequate specific suggestions, proposes seven instructional principles based upon research on the reading-writing relationship and suggests specific techniques for each principle. (NH)

Reports that readiness tests given to children in bilingual villages in Papua New Guinea showed that children learning to read in an unfamiliar language were more confused than were children who had never had literacy instruction. (FL)

Concludes that an ongoing, onsite, supervised inservice program providing regular diagnostic feedback to teachers doubled the reading comprehension gain scores of low SES Black intermediate-grade students from a large urban school district as compared to the gains of students whose teachers did not participate in program. (FL)

Reports that teaching educable mentally handicapped children to compare unknown words to words they already have in their sight vocabularies seems to improve their reading abilities. (FL)