Describes how a class of fourth graders effectively used their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills to take action (regarding the laws governing trophy hunting) and to change a piece of their world. (SR)

Recounts how five teachers promoted discussions where students initiated their own inquiries, helped each other probe their self-initiated inquiries rather than wait for teacher follow-up questions, and responded naturally to each other rather than wait for teacher permission to speak. Notes that group response extended individual responses. (SR)

Indicates that Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) is not superior to other methods used to increase reading skills. (RB)

Shows that before students can begin doing research and inquiry on their own, they need to experience extensive nonfiction reading and writing and learn to generate questions and find resources. Offers a list of strategies and ideas that will help prepare the teacher, students, parents, and other teachers for the inquiry process. (SR)

Describes how "motif-units" undermine the potential benefits of integrated thematic instruction. Suggests replacing the term "thematic unit" with the concept of "interdisciplinary outline," which focus on meaningful content, authentic activities, students' needs, teacher mediation, and a variety of resources. Shows how one fourth-grade teacher…

Examines the kinds of inquiry fourth-grade children accomplished in a cross-curricular unit involving various kinds of texts. Identifies the circumstances that accompany the best examples of student thought, talk, and questions. Describes procedures used as well as the talk that accompanied each type of text (biography, historical fiction, and…

Describes a technique that helped less-able fourth grade readers develop a better understanding of story parts and how they fit together. Explains that the technique also improved reading comprehension. (FL)

Concludes that using a reading plan sheet and prompting cards helped fourth grade students increase their literal recall. (FL)

Concludes that for fourth and fifth grade students in compensatory reading programs, using test forms from a lower grade level and converting the scores might give a more reliable estimate of achievement. (FL)

Outlines a program of vocabulary development that contains cognitive, affective, and physical elements. Points to test results showing that the program has been effective with fourth grade students. (FL)

Concludes that while any of several types of remedial tutoring was successful with fourth grade remedial readers, children who were merely left in the regular classroom made equal gains. (FL)

Reveals that fourth-grade children were able to tell the differences between expository and narrative text but still needed guidance in how to read the two types of materials best. (FL)

Argues that captioned video is an innovative and promising approach for improving students' reading comprehension, vocabulary, and motivation. Describes its use in a fourth-grade classroom, and makes suggestions for getting started. (SR)

Describes how one fourth-grade teacher used television, videos, computers, classroom guests, and lots of reading and writing to engage his students in their language-arts unit, focusing on the book "Shiloh." Discusses how such "intermediality" (using multiple media) increases students' comprehension and understanding of text, capturing their…

Presents a unit that uses folk and fairy tales to provide a literary background for creative writing in a fourth-grade classroom. (FL)