The Reading Teacher articles from May 2004

The Reading Teacher archives from May 2004

Teaching expository text structures through information trade book retellings: teachers can help students understand common expository text structures by having them retell information trade books.
May 1, 2004... During the past few years, teachers at all grade levels have become increasingly interested in developing student understanding of expository text. At least two factors have helped to drive this interest. First, teachers are well aware of the...

Storybook reading: improving vocabulary and comprehension for English-language learners: teachers can use this strategy to systematically build the vocabulary and comprehension skills of primary-grade English-language learners through daily read-alouds.
May 1, 2004... In the last five years, considerable emphasis has been placed on improving instruction and educational outcomes for struggling readers. Several reports have synthesized extant research findings in the area of early literacy and provided...

Early literacy instruction in the climate of No Child Left Behind: recent U.S. education reforms are having an impact on early literacy instruction.
May 1, 2004... The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 is changing the literacy climate of classrooms and schools in the United States. Regardless of whether individuals agree with its mandates, the impact of that law is being felt by districts and...

Genuine caring and literacy learning for African American children: educators who provide a caring environment that fosters literacy learning also increase the chances for African American children to lead successful academic and personal lives.
May 1, 2004... Recently, the professional literature as well as the media in the United States have focused on the achievement gap between black and white students. A number of reasons have been suggested for this disparity, including a lack of culturally...

Designing early literacy programs: strategies for at-risk preschool and kindergarten children.(Book Review)
May 1, 2004... Lea M. McGee and Donald J. Richgels. 2003. New York: Guilford. 231 pp. ISBN 1-57230-890-7. US$28.00. Authors McGee and Richgels draw on extensive research and their many years of classroom experiences to create a framework for...

Teacher visions: navigating beliefs about literacy learning: teachers can use "visioning" as a tool to clarify how their beliefs play out as instructional practices.
May 1, 2004... Decades of research (Bigge, 1982; Combs & Yellin, 1985; Evans, 1991; Gove, 1983; May, 1990) on the connection between teachers' theoretical beliefs and their practices yield a common theme: All teachers bring to the classroom some level of...

Teaching for Comprehension in Reading, Grades K-2.(Book Review)
May 1, 2004... Gay Su Pinnell and Patricia L. Scharer, with Diane E. DeFord, Irene C. Fountas, Mary Fried, Justina Henry, Carol A. Lyons, Andrea McCarrier, Lynda Hamilton Mudre, and Barbara Joan Wiley. 2003. New York: Scholastic Professional Books. 288 pp....

Literacy mystery boxes.(Teaching Tips)
May 1, 2004... The suspense builds as each object is removed from the box--first, a piece of vine, then a tiny tree. Next comes a plastic rhinoceros, followed by an elephant. A pair of dice is revealed, and then a game board spinner. With each unveiling the...

Remembering comprehension: delving into the mysteries of teaching reading comprehension.(Instructional and Professional Materials Reviews)
May 1, 2004... In keeping with the theme of the previous column (November 2003) when we shared titles of teacher resource books that could be used to enhance the teaching of children's literature, this month we focus on descriptions of reading comprehension...

Parent involvement in children's acquisition of reading.(Family Literacy)
May 1, 2004... Parent involvement has a positive influence on student achievement (Epstein, Clark, Salinas, & Sanders, 1997; Jordan, Snow, & Porche, 2000; Shaver & Walls, 1998; Westat & Policy Studies Associates, 2001). In addition, evidence demonstrates...

At-risk readers can construct complex meanings: technology can help.(Struggling Readers)
May 1, 2004... At-risk readers are those children who are in danger of not fulfilling their academic learning potential (Allington & Cunningham, 1996). They are often perceived as less able, lacking discrete skills, and, therefore, at risk of reading...

Folk literature: preserving the storytellers' magic.(Children's Books)
May 1, 2004... Old stories are like large snowballs rolling down a hill. They grow, gathering details with each telling. Sometimes they break apart into two or three stories; sometimes they hold together and become a cycle of related tales, or even an epic....

Action Strategies for Deepening Comprehension.(Book Review)
May 1, 2004... Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. (2002). New York: Scholastic Professional Books. 192 pp. ISBN 0-439-21857-8. US$17.95. Wilhelm's text will challenge you to rethink how you teach your students to comprehend text. While other books discuss envisionment...