This article discusses how reading for their own purposes affected struggling teens. It shares the authors' story, which demonstrates the importance and power of focusing on students' purposes, as highlighted in Standard 12, a standard not often addressed or assessed, but one that matters to students and teachers alike. The authors describe how a…

Suggests humorous ways to generate student interest in literature such as creating advertising campaigns for characters in fiction. (SRT)

This article provides a summary of current research regarding literacy issues that boys face and offers practices and strategies that might help bridge the literacy gap for boys. The article began as a result of the author's son's struggles with literacy. By sharing Gabe's story, this teacher and researcher examines the issues he and other boys…

Describes how to involve nonreading students in the printed word. (DD)

Although there is a paucity of research-based information about the literacy of the aged, educators, researchers, and authors continue to propose certain practices and advocate certain positions, often while operating under unconscious or unexamined biases against the elderly. What research has been done indicates that literacy instruction that…

Being a reading mentor to students, colleagues, or friends is one key strategy in the development and promotion of a wide variety of reading interests. Readers serve as mentors by passive means, such as indicating how much they read, being able to name the last book recommended to them, displaying their books visibly, and maintaining their…

Preschool children experience literature early on through nursery rhymes, being read to, and tales told by parents and grandparents. This introduction to the literature of a child's culture, family, and times should be a most comfortable experience. On reaching school, however, the child will find that the demands of pedagogy become insistent over…

Finds that utopias act as catalysts to young people exploring issues of personal growth through reading. Discusses several books that contain utopian elements. (EL)

Valgardson discusses his attitudes toward his work and toward the teaching of writing. (RL)

Describes how a film and a book containing a collection of letters written by soldiers stationed in Vietnam can be successfully used in the reading and writing classroom. (KEH)

Designed to make the study of Dickens'"Great Expectations" an appealing and worthwhile experience, this paper presents a unit of study intended to help students gain (1) an appreciation of Dickens' skill at creating realistic human characters; (2) an insight into the problems of a young man confused by false values and unreal ambitions…

Reviews recent literature on student motivation and links it with possible classroom practices for improving the reading and study skills of adolescents. (FL)

Explains ways that juvenile science fiction has changed and improved during the last decade. Includes a bibliography of titles popular with children and adolescents. (MKM)

Provides a list of more than 100 titles of young adult books which beginning English teachers should read, describes the stages of adolescent reading, and urges teachers to present literature as a vision of life. (DD)

A survey of adult active readers showed that those learning to read before starting school were influenced by parents who read to them, who read themselves for enjoyment, or who owned many books. The public library was also a critical influence. Classroom teachers can have more influence on their students' reading habits by showing that they…