The scope of digital children's books is increasing rapidly; however, the quality of these books needs consideration in view of the educational context in which they are to be read. In this article, we present seven key strands to support early childhood teachers in selecting high quality for shared dialogue-based reading with groups of children.…

Teachers spend a lot of time finding 'just right' picture books for their students. However, much of what is known about a book's difficulty level was developed with native English speakers. More needs to be developed with the distinctive characteristics of English Learners (ELs). This study reports on the selection of picture books to teach in an…

The main objective of this study was to assess the appropriateness of literary texts in teaching reading skills at some selected high schools in Ethiopia. The study employed survey research design. Different instruments and sampling techniques were used. Document analysis was conducted to examine the appropriateness of literary texts and reading…

This article aims to compare the content of reading material for students in Indonesia and other countries, for example, reading material containing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues. This objective is based on selecting reading material for learning in schools in Indonesia, which is undoubtedly different from that in other…

The authors explored adolescents' reasons for reading or not reading books. In individual interviews with 39 adolescents (ages 15 and 16) in the United Kingdom, they reported that reading books offered an opportunity to relax, learn, escape the real world, and become immersed; was exciting, developed their empathy skills, and provided a form of…

This paper tells a story of one student teacher's experiences as she considers the choice of fiction texts studied by young secondary learners of English, and how those texts are taught. Based on a series of interviews carried out in the South-West of England and Wales, the narrative provides a perspective on the limitations of current curricula…

In this qualitative research we employed the case study method to identify the factors that affect Turkish fifth to eight graders' selection of books to read and the reasons that cause them to stop reading the books they have selected. To identify those factors and reasons, data were collected from a total of 32 participating students who were…

The National Literacy Trust's research during the first national lockdown in spring 2020 showed that more children and young people said that they enjoyed reading and more read more often during lockdown compared with before the pandemic. Children and young people's comments suggested that this was because they suddenly had time to (re)engage with…

Despite ongoing effects to improve Thai children's reading competency, particularly their engagement with reading strategies, concerns remain regarding EFL pre-service English teacher's (PSTs) ability to effective instruction these strategies. This study investigates stakeholders' perspectives on PSTs' reading proficiency and instructional skills,…

In Japan, the workshop-style approach for teaching reading has drawn recent attention. However, the obligation to use Ministry of Education-approved textbooks makes applying this method in classes difficult. In this study, we aimed to investigate the possibilities of incorporating workshop-style lessons into a Japanese language arts class and its…

Reading is considered by many to be a very important skill among four macro skills for English as a second language and is highlighted in Malaysia Standard Curriculum for Primary School (KSSR) and English language curriculum in Malaysia. However, poor reading habits among Malaysian students especially in English remained a pressing issue in…

The study aimed to identify the beliefs of female student-teachers regarding children's literature and its importance in developing language skills of first primary classes at Petra University of Jordan in light of specialization and academic year variables. The study sample comprised (64) female student-teachers of B. A level at the faculty of…

The importance of Critical Thinking (CT) to support every individual's success in academic, personal and social life has long been acknowledged. The accelerating advancement of technology makes the need for CT more crucial. However, due to various factors, CT development through the educational process has not been satisfactory. This article…

Read-alouds are a frequent practice in early childhood classrooms and provide great potential for developing literacy skills for young learners including vocabulary, comprehension, text structure awareness, visual literacy, and fluency. Yet, any potential benefit of read-alouds depends on how the teacher enacts a read-aloud, particularly in…

This report highlights the enduring importance of our Young Readers Programme by providing children with impactful positive reading experiences as well as opportunities to choose and, crucially, keep books. This is particularly important for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, with over 1 in 4 children who receive free school meals telling us…