Outlines the rise of "young adult" books, and discusses issues related to the appropriateness of books for adolescents. Discusses and reviews 10 books for adolescents and young adults. Notes briefly three books for teachers with ideas for improving the reading and writing skills of students in various content areas. (SR)

Concerns are being raised in both professional literature as well as in the popular press regarding certain aspects of the literature-based movement. A longitudinal study investigated a group of first-grade teachers who have been attempting (with varying degrees of success) to introduce literature-based teaching strategies into their classrooms.…

This brochure discusses enriching summertime or vacation experiences that stimulate children to read and learn more. The brochure discusses free or low-cost resources available in the community, such as the library, park programs, zoos or nature centers, museums, historic districts, and community arts. The brochure also discusses reading and…

Describes ways to accelerate reading and language skills by experience stories, creative writing, and books. (TO)

Since the average child spends an estimated 30 hours a week watching television, it is important to consider the negative and positive effects of television viewing on the development of reading attitudes and habits. Possible negative aspects of television viewing include the following: the rapid pacing of programs encourages shallow reading; the…

Consisting of nine individualized inservice packets, the Teaching Teen Reading Series describes reading procedures applicable to instruction in all subjects in the elementary, middle, and secondary school. This ninth packet is designed to enable the teacher to help students read for information and pleasure and includes sections discussing ways to…

A reading program designed for adults in business, industry, or self-directing professions must focus on specific reading skills which are different from other adult reading programs. Professionals generally have good-to-excellent reading skills which they developed in school and college and are thus primarily concerned with developing (1)…

Two essential concepts are developed in this paper: (1) the first year of language instruction is a period in which the student should gain basic command of the target language verbally and develop reading skills as well, and (2) the "comfort level" in reading should be retained as the student progresses. The latter, the author suggests, assures…

Identifies five criteria for the selection of picture books, and discusses their potential benefits for children's reading attitudes and skills. The benefits discussed include offering a store of experiences, learning the possibilities of language, gaining an understanding of cultural heritages, developing imagination, and learning about…

Advocates using annual reports to help adult learners bridge the gap between competence with basic reading tasks and competence with more difficult and complex tasks which require inferential thinking and application of information for decision making and problem solving. (RS)

Based on research indicating successful readers have several common characteristics (student choice and availability of reading materials, time for reading, and time to talk about their reading), a study explored research findings about each characteristic and surveyed middle grade teachers' reading practices in the classroom. Seventh-grade…

Finds that Agatha Christie's mysteries can be used to encourage discussion of characterization and human values, to promote reading and literary analysis skills, and to develop both writing and problem-solving skills. Suggests several language arts activities. (MM)

Discusses things for teachers to think about when selecting interactive books for their students, for example: whether the review was written by those in the software business or by educators; whether diverse possibilities for school use exist; whether the books are free of gender, racial, and class stereotypes; and whether the interactive book…

This article reports an investigation of the attitudes and opinions of children's librarians towards poetry, and towards its promotion in the public library. It also reports some attitudes towards literature promotion to young people in general. A series of structured interviews with library professionals currently working in the public sector…