The most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children at home and in the classroom. At school, reading aloud is important for starting the day, presenting reading and writing mini-lessons, supporting social studies and science curricula, supporting whole-class book studies, and…

Presents suggestions to help struggling readers in upper elementary grades. The suggestions focus on: how to select the right books, how to introduce the books, and how to read the books. A sidebar presents a below-level readers' gripe list (e.g., people think they are dumb, treat them like they cannot think, and make them invisible). (SM)

Presents an annotated listing of books about all kinds of heroes for elementary school students. Stories include the young King Arthur; an assertive, baseball-playing heroine who becomes a princess; an older brother dealing with his younger brother; a Christmas story; civil rights icon Rosa Parks; and the cow who jumped over the moon. (SM)

Shared reading lets elementary teachers show children what reading is about. Teachers read the text aloud and encourage students to read along. All levels of readers can participate. Teachers can do letter or sound searches to help children understand how to use what they know about letters and spelling patterns in order to read unfamiliar words.…

This article presents ideas for turning elementary-level nonreaders into readers. Activities include teachers'"all-about-me letters" to gain insight into students' interests, and interviewing students to document their use of reading strategies. A reading strategy record sheet for the student interviews is included. (SM)

When teachers wave goodbye to their students as they head off for summer vacation, they might just be bidding farewell to some of their hard-won gains in reading skills. The "summer slide" is well-documented by research: Unless students read regularly during the break, they fall behind about three months in their reading achievement. This article…

Teachers must make changes in their reading programs that reflect a desire for students to compose lives in which reading matters. Strategies presented include getting serious about independent reading, building a literate environment, making every child bookish, setting up reading partnerships, and ideas for home-school reading support. (SM)

This poetry activity helps K-3 teachers increase students' enthusiasm for reading by highlighting personal interests. Students read a baseball poem, discuss the wording, examine how it conveys action, and look for key words. The next day, they read the poem again and write about favorite activities of their own. The baseball poem is attached. (SM)