Tens of thousands of students begin each new school year with the hope that they will finally find "the" teacher who will help them succeed as readers, writers, and learners. This book shows how teachers can provide the type of differentiated instruction that struggling readers need by drawing on students' individual and cultural backgrounds, as…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate ways in which six teachers in the intermediate grades at one urban and one rural school enabled their African American male students to be successful in their literacy efforts. It was my assumption that successful teachers of African American males would also be teachers who integrated…

This case study describes the process of introducing braille reading to a sixth-grade girl with severe visual impairment. Her mastery of braille as a supplement to large-print reading is discussed in the context of the influence of adolescence and the child's self-consciousness about using braille in the presence of other students. (DB)

Describes a late intervention for older students with significant reading difficulties. Describes the kinds of reading and writing assessments necessary to determine a starting place for teachers. Finds that in almost every case, the students made substantial gains in a short period of time, and the teachers expressed satisfaction with both their…

A case study examined one fifth-grade student's developing response as he participated in a literature-based reading program. The student's response to text over time was traced via observations of the student, interviews, field notes, and written documents he created. Analysis, ongoing during and after the data collection, focused on three…

Describes how in the examination of a sixth-grade girl's participation in the language arts classroom that is driven by high-stakes testing and by a regimented classroom culture, the authors came to view students' approaches to literacy events as "stances" and their negotiation of their subjectivities in response to literacy events as…

Presents a case study of an integrated approach to teaching history, literacy and music, in a Year 6 class. Suggests success was due to use of varied teaching approaches including storytelling, drama, singing and discussion. Emphasizes links between genuine historical tasks, and activities in the National Literacy Strategy. Suggests how music…

As the publication of picture books that contain meta-fictive or postmodern elements increases, research concerning how intermediate grade readers respond and construct meaning in transaction with these texts is important. This study explores readers' responses and discussions focusing on the picture book Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne.…

Larry arrived from California and was put in a fifth grade class's lowest reading group which was reading third-grade-level basals. Larry was often disruptive during reading instruction and claimed he could only read when the book was upside down. Tests indicated that Larry had normal vision but that he was learning disabled and reading at only a…

A case study of a dyslexic elementary student revealed that anxiety about reading difficulties complicated instruction and impeded progress. A supportive classroom environment (which did not request oral right reading), choral repeated reading, a video oral reading production, and a desensitization/visualization exercise reduced the child's…

Discusses challenges of teaching reading with children's literature. Presents a fourth-grade teacher's experience beginning her first full year of teaching. Notes that the novel "Call It Courage" revolutionized the teacher's concept of teaching with literature. Concludes that with the current call for a greater emphasis on direct skills…

Synthesizes the case study of one struggling fourth-grade reader who participated in a semester-long, literature-based, e-mail collaborative with a pre-service teacher. Explores the nature of this e-mail partnership. Suggests that the authentic, social nature of e-mail serves as a motivating literacy event for the fourth grader. Discusses…

Two theoretical perspectives are woven together to frame an approach to classroom reading instruction. Viewing reading instruction from a literary perspective and a psychological perspective has the potential to help students understand the distinctions between different text types and the various purposes for reading--information, enjoyment, and…

Describes in detail how a fourth-grade language arts teacher was able to inspire one learning-disabled student to develop writing skills in conjunction with that student's interest in drawing pictures. Shows how this student progressed from simple captions to writing stories. (HB)

Describes a case study of a Norwegian deaf boy with severe reading disorder. Initiates a holistic approach to writing instruction based on process-oriented writing, Norwegian sign language, drawings, and word processing augmented with a word prediction system called PAL (Predictive Adaptive Lexicon). Concludes that this approach managed to get…