Typically, when a parent and a toddler share a picture book, the adult reads and the child listens. But practitioners of a special, research-based technique called dialogic reading are turning that age-old model upside down. Dialogic reading transforms youngsters into storytellers and adults into active listeners, increasing the likelihood that…

Providing students with time to read during school has been questioned by researchers and practitioners. This article reports on the efforts of one school to resuscitate a schoolwide initiative to provide students the opportunity to read. A single comment made by a student led to committee work and significant policy changes. A chronicle of events…

This document discusses the author's personal opinion and feelings on teaching. She expresses her love for literacy and the hope to engage her students with the same feeling, yet not force it upon them.

This article explains how and why to involve teachers and students as playwrights "commissioned" to write, revise, read, rehearse, and perform Readers Theatre scripts that fulfill a dual purpose: inform (about curriculum topics) and entertain. Curriculum-Based Readers Theatre (CBRT) differs from traditional Readers Theatre in that its script…

In order to make predictions about a text, students must have prior knowledge or experiences about the topic and a means or a reason to retrieve this latent information and knowledge. The Imagine, Elaborate, Predict, and Confirm (IEPC) strategy takes the predictive process back to its origins in the imagination and extends it throughout the…

This article, based on a presentation made by the author at the 2003 California Library Association conference, provides examples of how librarians and teachers can use Science Fiction to provide catalysts for discussion in a variety of subjects; teach students how to question intelligently; and stimulate their imaginations, thus motivating them…

For young teen girls, reading has become hot again. With their appealing covers, witty heroines and humorous plots, teen chick lit books are bringing girls out of the malls and into local libraries and bookstores in search of the next must-have title. These fun books are about boys, friendship, family, fitting in, and growing up. What makes the…

This study aimed to explore the differences between Chinese good and poor readers in their strategy use by using a think-aloud method. Eight grade 7 students in Hong Kong, four good readers and four poor readers, received a think-aloud task and an interview in the study. Consistent with the Western studies, findings of this study indicated that…

The processes of change in children's reading motivation have not been widely studied. We investigated whether situated interest for a specific book may lead to longer-term intrinsic motivation for general reading. Two schools with 120 grade 3 students filled out reading logs identifying their reasons for reading their favorite books twice. In…

Using a literacy project as illustration, I make a case for action research as an approach for external innovators who seek to effect educational change. Collaboration between the innovator and those for whom the innovation is intended, rather than power, is the key ingredient in bringing about change. Clients must be actively involved at all…

In today's educational climate, many teachers find themselves in situations where they have little say in the overarching decisions that influence their teaching lives. Still, there are daily decisions that teachers can make to benefit students, and by uniting their decision-making efforts, teachers can make a difference. The author of this column…

Now in its third edition, the "Handbook of Research on Teaching the English Language Arts"--sponsored by the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English--offers an integrated perspective on the teaching of the English language arts and a comprehensive overview of research in the field. Prominent…

The authors designed and implemented a voluntary reading program that was intended to reduce loss in reading achievement over the summer months, particularly for low-income and ethnic minority children. The program had two major components: (1) providing eight books that were well matched to each child's reading level and interests; and (2)…

A variety of approaches to the teaching of reading have been applied in primary classrooms. While much information is available on the teaching of reading in the early years, little is forthcoming to guide teachers of older students. This qualitative research served to identify the beliefs and pedagogies of two experienced year seven teachers in…

This document is the manual for the Arizona Reading Program (ARP) 2003 entitled "Lights, Camera, Read!" This theme spotlights books that were made into movies, and allows readers to appreciate favorite novels and stories that have progressed to the movie screen. The manual consists of eight sections. The Introduction includes welcome…