The most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children at home and in the classroom. At school, reading aloud is important for starting the day, presenting reading and writing mini-lessons, supporting social studies and science curricula, supporting whole-class book studies, and…

Presents suggestions to help struggling readers in upper elementary grades. The suggestions focus on: how to select the right books, how to introduce the books, and how to read the books. A sidebar presents a below-level readers' gripe list (e.g., people think they are dumb, treat them like they cannot think, and make them invisible). (SM)

Describes a study at the Willings Learning Clinic that analyzed the responses of 39 male students, 66 female students, 44 adult males, and 51 adult females to literature. Five styles of responding to literature are discussed: the analyzer, the picture maker, the reflector, the elaborator, and the internalizer. (CR)

Presents a publisher's perspective on new young adult books being published and on reaching the young adult audience. Discusses reasons for publishing simultaneous hardcover and softcover editions; the more attractive and slightly more expensive trade paperback reprints; marketing and promotion; and establishment of a young adult book award. (AEF)

Describes a high school language arts elective course on the novel, based on copious reading both in and out of class, a mix of assigned books and personal choice books in a broad range of difficulty in sophistication, and a wide range of activities, discussions, and writing. Notes enthusiastic responses, individual victories, and the sense of…

Explores questions of paratext and spin-off text through an investigation of web sites and other forms of satellite texts relating to three series of novels for young people: the Harry Potter novels by J.K. Rowling, "His Dark Materials" by Philip Pullman, and the Disc-world novels of Terry Pratchett. (SG)

In this brief article, the author suggests that in this age of accountability, teacher-librarians sometimes become so engulfed by their role in teaching the school curriculum and standards that they forget the power of story. The author stresses, that in her opinion, the power of story is undeniable.

Many comparisons are being made among students in reading achievement. The United States ranked ninth among 35 nations in an international study among students in reading, as reported by the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (Reading Today, 2003). Standards keep going up for students to achieve in reading, as indicated by test…

It is the recent emphasis on testing that has brought life to this issue once again and has spawned the "New Boys Movement," which focuses on helping boys achieve in reading and writing, Researchers have been studying what makes boys tick. What they've learned is that boys take longer to learn to read than girls; they read less than girls and are…

Children's choice awards are intended to encourage children, primary age through teens, to read quality literature for enjoyment. The reasons for joining a children's choice program before deciding to participate are presented.

One of the best gifts one can give to children is a lifelong love of reading, and that begins by reading out loud to them every day. It is the single most important thing one can do to help build literacy skills. This article presents some guidelines to help make reading time in the classroom a richer experience.

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…

This article provides an overview of research about how teachers, parents, and others can help young people develop literacy practices for success in school and life beyond school. The authors, members of the International Reading Association's Commission on Adolescent Literacy, present the results of its review of the literature in the form of…

This paper examines the high levels of social connectedness and civic engagement between the [North] Brisbane School of Arts and the local metropolitan newspapers in their eagerness to establish and promote a reading club that would curb what they felt was the local community's preoccupation with reading popular novels. The Brisbane Literary…

The authors report the results of a study in which they sought to determine the effect of the race of a book's primary characters on the reading motivation of 3rd-grade students in Mississippi. Students (N = 35) from 2 3rd-grade classrooms chose books with covers that depicted main characters who were either Black or White. The authors sought to…