State and national initiatives have compelled significant change in English language arts and social studies/history curricula. English language arts teachers are required to balance fiction (or literature) and nonfiction (or informational texts), which is a considerable change for a content area formerly occupied by fiction (National Governors…

Designed to improve the rigor and clarity of children's reasoning about ethical issues, this book provides a practical, down-to-earth, discussion-based approach to teaching ethics to fourth- through sixth-grade children. The book provides stories, lesson plans, questioning strategies, guidance on using children's books for ethics lessons, and a…

In this informal survey, questionnaires about reading and television were distributed to 212 fifth and sixth graders in eight states. This article summarizes responses on favorite authors, favorite titles read in the last year, favorite kinds of books, and preferences for reading or television. (SJL)

This study investigated African-American student response to images of African-Americans in picture books. Study participants included 20 fifth-grade students, 9 girls and 11 boys. The study used five picture books featuring African-Americans as main characters and ranked the books on a continuum from "most positive" to "most…

Designed to expose young readers to a wide variety of literary genres, this annotated bibliography provides a list of over 500 recently published children's literature selections representative of the universal themes in literature. Selections are divided into sections of folklore, drama, poetry, non-fiction, and fiction (the most extensive). The…

Examined effects of using textbook alternatives on six fifth graders' experiences learning about American history. Found that students preferred alternative texts. Using multiple sources raised no questions for students about validity and reliability of evidence. Students used an information-quantity criterion to judge validity of evidence. Three…

Two studies focused on children's reading but employed very different procedures and techniques. The first study examined the link between the levels of children's reading comprehension and the quantity of reading they did. Subjects, 198 children chosen at random from years 5, 6, and 7 of a single elementary school in Adelaide, Australia,…

Shares the responses of seven urban, male, African-American fifth graders to contemporary realistic fiction, discussing how the tying of this literature to the events in the boys' lives had the potential to move them toward social action. The paper examines the following: literature as a catalyst, reader responses to texts, critical literacy, and…

Designed for use by junior high and middle school students, this annotated bibliography of over 1,100 titles of fiction and nonfiction also serves as a resource for teachers, librarians, and parents in search of titles that might catch the attention of such students. The bibliography presents annotations of books published or reissued in 1993 and…

This study was designed as an effort to understand how student-directed small-group discussions can further student thinking about issues related to social studies. The study utilized participant observation to collect data two to three times weekly as students engaged in a literature-based reading program called Book Club. The specific questions…

Designed for use by students in grades 5 through 9, this annotated bibliography of nearly 600 titles of fiction and nonfiction also serves as a resource for teachers, librarians, and parents in search of titles that might catch the attention of junior high and middle school students. The book presents annotations of books published in 1991 or…

An investigation was conducted to determine how fifth graders with prior experience in student-led literature discussions assisted peers familiar with teacher-led discussions in basal reading programs. Tapes, observations, and writings of students indicated that students quickly adopted leadership roles, interacted, and helped one another conduct…

Provides intermediate grade teachers with strategic guidelines and suggested activities designed to develop and improve the quality of writing experiences among students in the classroom. (BB)

Middle school students can become fascinated with literature if they have a choice in selecting which trade book to read and the means of revealing comprehension. One student teacher (ST) developed a bulletin board to stimulate learner interest in reading for her sixth grade students. "Read and Digest" was the heading, with four…

To assess children's ability to draw inferences from selections of children's literature and to measure the significance of various selected factors to this ability was the problem of this study. Children (432) were evenly divided among grades 4, 5, and 6 and randomly divided at each grade level into two equal groups, one of which read the…