Explains how to teach remedial reading students to visualize. Notes that developing this type of interaction with a story helps improve reading comprehension. (MM)

Suggests that, rather than ignoring the enormous interest of children for joke and riddle books, educators can take advantage of humor's natural attraction by using it to involve children in reading and to provide worthwhile learning experiences. Discusses humor as an instructional tool, classroom use of joke and riddle books, and teacher…

Separate columns in this newsletter issue emphasize (1) the need for parents and teachers to encourage children to write notes to one another to improve their literacy; (2) the use of mathematics in an integrated curriculum; and (3) the importance of reading to children. (MDM)

Describes what reading coaches do (provide literacy enrichment without emphasizing the diagnostic and intervention aspects of reading), how this differs from reading tutors, and how reading coaches can help with literacy development in schools. Discusses activities for reading coaches, and benefits of a reading coach program. (SR)

Identifies strategies reading tutors and struggling readers used while reading electronic books. Finds that tutors primarily used nine types of strategic comprehension prompts, two of them unique to reading electronic books. Finds that the most prevalent strategy used was to prompt tutees to activate the context elaboration features (multisensory…

Looks at what is known about multisyllabic words, which is a lot more than educators knew when the previous generation of multisyllabic word instruction was created. Reviews the few studies that have carried out instructional approaches to increase students' ability to decode big words. Outlines a program of instruction, based on what is currently…

Examines relations between morphological sensitivity and decoding ability in grades 3 through 6 to investigate the morpho-phonological nature of English orthography. Indicates that children's recognition of derivational relationships improved with grade level. Concludes that both phonological awareness and sensitivity to morphological structure…

Reanalyzed data from Goodman's 1965 study of whether increased reading fluency related to increased dependence on context in the process of word recognition and repeated Goodman's procedure with first-third graders. Results found that reading fluency was not significantly associated with context use, though third graders improved significantly…

Examines a learning community of remedial readers and writers struggling with emergent forms of literacy. Documents their transformations of this literacy into more conventional forms. Notes that four main themes emerged to help explain the nature of the mediating activities: decision-making, opportunity, choice, and engagement. (SG)

Focuses on the complementary model of Lawton's (1999) three collaborative instructional models. Notes that the complementary model establishes the classroom teacher as the educator primarily responsible for instruction. Discusses collaboration during reading instruction, helping students prepare to read, helping students engage in the reading…

Investigates the development of decoding (efficiency), reading comprehension, vocabulary and spelling during the elementary school years. Determines the differences between poor, average and good performers with regard to the development of these skills. Finds clear seasonal effects for reading comprehension, vocabulary and spelling, but the…

Investigates whether the layout of type in two popular children's reading schemes was suitable for the intended reading age. Concludes that the reading development of some children might benefit from a larger text size and spacing than is currently the norm, and that no children would be disadvantaged by such a change. (SG)

Shares Governor Taft's literacy goals and insights with the reading professionals throughout the state who work with Ohio's young readers and their volunteer tutors. Shares the perspectives of Nancy Padak and Janet Day, members of the OhioReads Council, on the progress and promise of OhioReads. Invites readers' responses--as teachers, as…

Presents a model of literacy based on five habits of effective reading teachers. Explains the rationale and theory that supports: (1) the importance of choice; (2) teaching for continuous progress; (3) curriculum integration; (4) individual conferencing, and (5) child-centered, child-directed activities. (NH)

Describes part of an on-going investigation of second language reading development of elementary school children from a bilingual, indigenous, community where high levels of proficiency in both languages are common among all age groups. Applies modifications to the standard rational deletion cloze procedure to adapt assessment to the special…