Describes ways to involve parents in supporting quality reading instruction through communication and activities. The New Haven (Conn.) Public Schools used school book lending, newsletters, school-sponsored family nights, daytime parent visitation, and other strategies to increase parent participation. (SRT)

Presents results of survey analyzing pleasure reading habits of gifted and other elementary school students covering types of books, where books are obtained, favorite authors, importance of reading, activities that encouraged reading, early childhood books, number of books owned, and enjoyment of reading. Role of schools and libraries are…

Describes three types of bulletin board displays designed to motivate students to read more. (FL)

Books that expand children's horizons and stimulate their imaginations are the focus of this 12th edition, an annotated bibliography of selected children's books published between 1996 and 1998. The 20 chapters in the book contain traditional and nontraditional categories of literature: Stories of the Universe: From Questions and Observations to…

A measure was developed to assess kindergarten children's interest in reading, and information about their home and school environments was collected. High-reading-interest children were read to more frequently, watched less television, and had more books at home. School factors are also discussed. (Author/PP)

Providing rich supply of high-interest story books is more feasible policy for literacy education than urgent exhortations to improve teacher quality. Free reading profoundly improves students' reading and writing ability, spelling, grammar, and vocabulary. The quality of a country s or state's school libraries significantly predicts its reading…

A Boston principal reflects on decade-long efforts to get students and their families to read together. Initiatives ranged from reading contests and upgraded reading materials to reading contracts, literacy shows, parent/home visiting programs, pizza parties, and off-site tutors. Persistence paid off in higher reading scores. (MLH)

A study collected baseline data which measured students' attitudes toward reading in academic and recreational settings; determined if reading attitudes in academic and recreational settings changed over time; and investigated whether difference in attitudes toward reading exist between grades or when students were grouped by sex. Subjects were…

Designed to help teachers, librarians, and parents introduce books of exceptional literary and artistic merit, accuracy, and appeal to preschool through sixth grade children, this annotated bibliography presents nearly 1,800 annotations of approximately 2,000 books (2 or more books in a series appear in a single review) published between 1988 and…

Intended to provide teachers with a list of recently published books recommended for children, this annotated booklist cites titles of children's trade books selected for their literary and artistic quality. The annotations in the booklist include a critical statement about each book as well as a brief description of the content, and--where…

To the traditional arguments for teaching children to read can be added the contemporary idea that literacy is a tool, the necessary skill for full participation in society, and the ticket to social mobility and success. New reasons for reading books have emerged from recent gains in the understanding of the comprehension process and the nature of…

Intended to provide teachers with a list of recently published books recommended for children, this annotated booklist cites titles of children's trade books selected for their literary and artistic quality. The annotations in the booklist include a critical statement about each book as well as a brief description of the content, and--where…

A study was conducted to compare students' recreational reading levels to their independent, instructional, and frustrational levels determinable with an informal reading inventory. Subjects, 20 second grade and 20 fifth grade students, were administered the Basic Reading Inventory. In addition, the school's librarian recorded titles of four books…

To provide information concerning television and its impact on reading, a study was conducted to determine if the programing on a commercial television network would reveal a low number of positive references to reading. Programing was observed from 3:00 p. m. until 9:00 p. m. daily and from 9:00 A. M. to noon on Saturdays for a period of three…

This paper uses the term "informational books" in place of the label "nonfiction" and proposes that the difference in connotation might promote a change in students' attitudes toward content reading. Several examples of informational books and their use are provided, showing classroom teachers and librarians how to enhance learning while providing…