Discusses three ways that high school English teachers can use young adult books: as books for whole-class study, as read-alouds, and as "classroom library" books to recommend to students for independent reading. Presents criteria for selecting novels for classroom study and for reading aloud. Mentions 53 young adult novels to consider for these…

This article presents the results of qualitative research into how middle school students experience school reading. Students from grades 4 through 8 from four different schools were asked individually to draw and then to talk about specific times of their choice when they were and were not engaged in learning. The combined method of drawing and…

The teaching of reading has come to be regarded as one of the highest priority areas in modern education because schools have been failing to teach reading effectively to large numbers of students who progress to secondary school without having achieved a working competency in this basic skill. Much of the burden of reading instruction has fallen…

This guide discusses ways in which departments might develop pupils' reading foreign language skills through a planned program of reading including reading for pleasure. Strategies to help students tackle new reading efforts are outlined as well as strategies in which teachers can help students. It is useful for teachers to have an understanding…

A descriptive study examined whether reading aloud to children regularly would have an effect on creating independent readers. Subjects, 269 preschool through third-grade students in Cranford, New Jersey, were given a questionnaire to be completed by the parents. Ninety-one questionnaires representing 200 children (ranging in age from 3 months to…

School administrators should realize that independent reading is an important and integral part of the language arts program, that it takes into consideration important skills and strategies, and that it requires risk-taking in a supportive environment. Principals can provide such support by working cooperatively with teachers during every phase…

This report discusses how three major strains of educational research are converging on a compelling new concept: critical thinking is not a set of skills to be taught, but a natural capacity, involving creating and revising patterns of information to be exercised and strengthened. Thus, according to the report, the appropriate classroom practice…

The importance of independent reading is advocated for success both in school and out of school. The following four strategies are presented to stimulate children's interest in reading and to assist the teacher in providing an environment in which independent reading becomes a student practice: (1) provide opportunities for students to see, hear,…

Administrators should realize that whole language is a multidimensional belief system, that everyone involved in its implementation must become a learner, and that this process requires risk taking in a supportive environment. Principals can provide such support by working cooperatively with teachers during every phase of implementation. The…

Independent reading can serve as a practical context for linking vocabulary and comprehension and is a feasible strategy that complements other instructional approaches while it expands word knowledge in a naturalistic setting. Teachers should serve as reading models while students engage in silent reading, but teachers should also be cautious…

FOUR ARTICLES ON INDIVIDUALIZED READING AND SELF-SELECTION REPRINTED FROM "CHILDHOOD EDUCATION" AND "READING," THE JOURNAL AND BULLETIN OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR CHILDHOOD EDUCATION INTERNATIONAL (ACEI), ARE PRESENTED. THE FIRST ARTICLE IS A DISCUSSION OF SELF-SELECTION, OF THE TEACHER'S ROLE IN PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR…

THE FOLLOWING PRINCIPLES FOR CONDUCTING COLLEGE-ADULT READING PROGRAMS WERE IMPLEMENTED IN THE WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY READING PROGRAM--(1) THE TEACHER MUST STIMULATE, INFORM, AND GUIDE, (2) EVERY STUDENT SHOULD KNOW HIS OWN READING ABILITY AND SELECT FOR HIMSELF THE READING SKILLS HE NEEDS, (3) THE STUDENT SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT HE CAN…

This thesis explores some difficulties associated with the use of the cloze procedure, particularly in relation to the interpretation of an individual's score on a cloze test. Cloze tests were administered to 112 grade-six children in four schools. The results indicated that for the children in this study the easiest words to replace were those…

One of the programs included in "Effective Reading Programs...," this program serves more than 1,800 children in grades 1-8. Begun in 1972, this program is designed to provide a strong foundation in reading. The teachers in the district defined by behavioral objectives those reading skills essential to decode and comprehend unfamiliar…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of individual adult-child conferences in increasing the independent reading of elementary school children. Following an 8-week baseline period, second, fourth, and sixth graders of both high and low reading achievement were randomly assigned to no-conference, teacher-conference, or…