Presents briefly a variety of ways to strengthen reading across the curriculum for preservice teachers at the undergraduate level. Discusses using thematic units to integrate the curriculum, developing three-level questioning guides, creating and presenting pattern or study guides, building vocabulary, and using writing to build comprehension. (SR)

Investigates how discussion influences young children's preferences for science texts. Finds that discussion can result in the preference for a science text that students may initially find of limited interest or even unappealing. (SR)

Examines teaching women's literature to students who are not habitual readers. Explains that two teachers addressed the problem by dividing class time into (1) an introductory minilecture; (2) an "initial reaction" discussion; (3) student oral performances; and (4) a final, synthesizing debate. Suggests means of moving students beyond…

Describes a reading motivation project with a class of fourth-grade students. Shows how the project incorporated strategies shown to promote engagement in literacy: opportunities for choice, reflection, and social interaction. Describes the use of metacognitive activities where students set weekly goals and reflected upon how they were growing as…

Offers the response of a professor and former elementary and secondary teacher to the question posed by a seventh-grade teacher regarding what teachers can do to encourage students with negative attitudes toward reading to read both in and out of school. Discusses ways that both reading aloud and reading along are effective strategies to entice…

Describes "Character Interviews," a class activity that guides children, especially reluctant readers, to the meaning of a story through a thoughtful understanding of character as they consider a character's emotions and motives, to respond to a question as that character would. Describes the interview process. Offers sample interviews…

Discusses how psychologists use affect, behavior, and cognition (ABCs) to understand people. Argues that teachers can use these same three domains to learn more about readers, and to assess the ABCs of attitude toward the reading experience. Recommends the use of literature circles and dialog journals as simple, effective instructional techniques…

Argues that what really matters in vocabulary development is that students come to love words, know that words have power, and develop for themselves a range of language choices. Argues that this can be brought about in classrooms with effective practice for vocabulary instruction: extensive reading, meaningful word study, and diverse…

Looks critically at the theoretical and ideological underpinnings of the practice of story mapping. Discovers a deep contradiction between the author's definition of reading as a constructive process and the reductionist nature of story mapping, which inhibits students' potential to explore a diverse range of personal responses by promoting…

Examines the use of systematic desensitization in a reading anxiety treatment program designed for preservice teachers. States that reading anxiety creates in teachers non-productive attitudes which can, and should, be altered to advance the literacy development of students. Measures reading anxiety of 23 preservice teachers before, during, and…

Argues that poetry should be at the center of all literary training. Describes the power of poetry on literacy development using examples from (1) eighth graders who immersed themselves for months in the "Iliad"; (2) from a graduate class; and (3) from kindergarten, first-, third-, and sixth-grade classes. (SR)

Argues that learning to investigate students' language holds great promise as an avenue of assessment. Shows what the stories of three second-grade students reveal about their beliefs regarding both reading and language growth. Discusses how students define for themselves who readers are and what readers can do. (SR)

Describes and discusses four resources (one quarterly magazine and three books) which are compilations of writing (and sometimes artwork) of students in grades 6 through 12. Argues that these writings can help to engage students with literature, to explore new ideas, and perhaps to stretch their own wings further as they see new possibilities for…

Investigates attitudes and cultural background of Israeli Arab students learning Hebrew and Israeli Jewish students learning English to reading comprehension in familiar/unfamiliar cultural stories. Compares contexts: Arabs as minority group learning the majority language and Jews as majority group learning a minority language. Indicates that…

Argues that English teachers should remember that nonfiction is the preferred reading choice of many of their students, and can be a "good read" and have superb aesthetic qualities. Offers guidelines to help educators design strategies to elicit student responses about nonfiction in the classroom. Describes 25 recently published outstanding…