Explores the advantages of using whole books in teaching basic English courses at Bergen Community College rather than workbooks and readers, using examples from student journals to illustrate students' reactions to their reading. Argues that longer works provide a context for critical thinking and reading exercises and a familiarity of character…

A new model reading lesson is presented for adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students. Teachers are encouraged to give their students real books to read rather than texts prepared especially for ESL students. The approach involves the teacher as a resource and advocates students learning to evaluate their own understanding by discussing…

Presents an excerpt from Katherine Neville's best-selling novel "The Eight," and discusses how the excerpt could be used in a mathematics class. Includes possible class activities and reading and writing assignments. (SR)

Finds that choices instructors make about reading assignments and classroom activities can influence the way students use their composition handbooks, encouraging or discouraging certain behaviors. (SR)

One of the major concerns of the foreign language profession today is to find a way to promote better cross-cultural understanding while continuing to develop linguistic skills. This discussion focuses on a series of oral and written tasks based on authentic written texts. (11 references) (VWL)

Introduces the FLIP (Friendliness, Language, Interest, Prior Knowledge) framework to help middle and secondary students examine their reading assignments and develop appropriate plans of action. Includes a rationale for the framework, a description of it, and suggestions for classroom implementation. (SR)

Discusses the value of booktalks in getting high school students excited about reading and books, by having the library media staff go into the classroom with appropriate books for an assignment and discuss them. The relation of booktalks to Big6 skills instruction is explained. (LRW)

Three studies evaluated a method for developing prior-knowledge structures that prepares students to learn from a text or lecture. Findings indicate that there is a place for lectures and readings in the classroom if students have sufficiently differentiated domain knowledge to use the expository materials in a generative manner. (TJQ)

In this article, the authors describe the concept of an anticipation guide. The anticipation guide is a strategy in which students forecast the major ideas of a reading passage through the use of statements that activate their thoughts and opinions. This strategy is helpful in activating students' prior knowledge and stimulating student interest…

Professors have long assigned to their students works of which they were the author. The practice ranges from assigning commercially published textbooks they have written to having students buy a volume they have written and published or course packs made up of their own materials they have photocopied. Not only individual professors, but also…

Among the causes of poor reading, teacher methods and attitudes are as important as any. (JH)

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data indicated a positive relationship between the amount of time spent on homework and reading achievement in grades 4, 8, and 11. This conclusion represents one segment of the findings of the 1983-84 National Assessment, which focused on reading and writing and was administered to approximately…

A number of professors of English comment on the reading requirements of their departments, the amount of reading done by their students, and the ability of their students to handle the reading load. They also contrast their opinions against past practice and student ability of the 60's and early 70's. (RK)

Discusses reading and writing assignments for a course on the nuclear peril. (MS)

Approaches Susan Glaspell's work by uniting role playing and reader response to foster student understanding of their values of the text. (CRH)