Presents numerous suggestions for effective and efficient meetings, including: deciding on the meeting's purpose and outcome; preparing and sending out an agenda before the meeting; starting meetings on time; using a variety of strategies for reaching decisions and solving problems; and compiling and distributing minutes as soon as possible. (RS)

Research has identified certain comprehension strategies that seem to work in an optimal manner to increase the reading comprehension of K-12 students. However, little evidence exists about whether teachers use identified, research-based strategies when teaching. In view of the critical nature of literacy achievement for diverse populations and…

What role must principals play in order to effectively support literacy coaching efforts? This is a question that many educators have begun to ask (Burkins, 2007; Casey, 2006; Kral, 2007; Shanklin, 2007; Steiner & Kowal, 2007; Toll, 2008). Some suggest that principals can establish close relationships with literacy coaches by offering a number…

Advises reading professionals on how to approach legal testimony as an expert witness. (AEA)

Standardized tests are increasingly used to determine students' growth in reading comprehension. In some U.S. school districts, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has led to a focus on multiple-choice questions to better prepare students for these types of tests. Even though such questions can provide some important information, they do not…

Clarifies the resource role of the reading consultant in providing inservice programs which are functional, timely, and interesting and in assisting teachers in everyday class settings through demonstration lessons, visits, and informal encounters. (MD)

Reflects on and evaluates the author's past year as a reading resource consultant in a program that has moved from a pullout reading program to a mainstreaming one. (SR)

The aim of this study was to determine whether explicit instruction in phonemic awareness and phonemically based decoding skills would be an effective intervention strategy for children with early reading difficulties in a whole language instructional environment. Twenty-four 6- and 7-year-old struggling readers were randomly assigned to an…

Describes how one reading consultant allocated time to meet the major responsibilities outlined in a job description. (RB)

Suggests standards for hiring reading specialists. (MKM)

Reports an interview between the instructor in a university undergraduate reading methods course and the reading supervisor for a public school. The interview suggests that collaboration between colleges and public schools can strengthen preservice teacher education by helping students bridge the gap between preparation and practice. (FL)

Cites needs of reading and language arts professionals that can be met with the help of a computer and describes "The Storage and Retrieval of Bibliographic References." (FL)

Reports on a survey in which people who responded as reading specialists actually performed many different jobs. (MKM)

Reviews some models of the reading consultant's role and of the way change occurs and suggests that reading consultants function as clinicians and as consultant/trainers as they work to bring about change in a school district. (TJ)