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Reading Horizons Vol. 49 No. 4

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Complete issue of Reading Horizons volume 49, issue 4.

Good Books For Good Times, Terrell A. Young, Barbara A. Ward

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

A quick trip to the local bookstore or library quickly dispels any notion that reading for pleasure is something of the past. ... Among the new offerings, we have no trouble finding several interesting titles with a wide range of themes, many helping us examine issues with different lenses so that we see the world anew. We hope you’ll find much food for thought and many pages to browse among these new books that caught our attention. Clearly, these are good books for good times.

Books reviewed for Grades K-2:
Auch, Mary Jane and Herm Auch. (2009). The plot chickens …

Article Index

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Index to articles in volume 49.

The Effects Of Word Walls And Word Wall Activities On The Reading Fluency Of First Grade Students, Joanne Jasmine, Pamela Schiesl

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Reading fluency is the ability to read orally with speed and efficiency, including word recognition, decoding, and comprehension (Chard & Pikulski, 2005). Able readers achieve fluency as they recognize words with speed and build upon them to aid in comprehension (Pumfrey & Elliott, 1990). One way to help students achieve fluency is through the use of word walls and word wall activities (Callella, 2001). Word walls are bulletin boards that contain a collection of high-frequency or theme-related words and their activities include games that focus on using the word wall to learn sight words. This article describes an action research …

From The Editor, Allison L. Baer

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Introduction to issue by editor Allison Baer.

Recreational Reading: Useful Tips For Successful Implementation, Katherine Wiesendanger, Gretchen Braun, Jeannine Perry

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This study analyzed characteristics of classrooms where recreational reading is being implemented. It scrutinized those classrooms that housed successful programs and looked for common elements among them. Specifically, we explored the physical, teacher, student, and program factors within these classrooms that contributed toward their success. Focusing on the responses from 33 participants, the article summarizes the elements most frequently mentioned under each of the four major components. Finally, we discuss how these factors contribute to the successful implementation of recreational reading.

Author Index

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Index to authors in volume 49.

Understanding The Cultural-Linguistic Divide In American Classrooms: Language Learning Strategies For A Diverse Student Population, Kerry P. Holmes, Susan Rutledge, Lane Roy Gauthier

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This article addresses critical factors that impact learning for a growing population of students in American classrooms, the English Language Learner (ELL). Even in the smallest school districts, it is common for teachers to have one or more students with limited or no command of the English language in their classrooms. Many students in schools with specialized ELL programs spend the majority of their day in regular classrooms trying to fit in with their peers as they struggle to learn a new language. This article focuses on the five stages of language acquisition and proficiency along with corresponding research-based strategies …

What Does Tv Viewing Have To Do With Internet Reading?: Readers, Television ‘Texts’, And Intertextual Links To Companion Websites, Rachel Brown

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

A growing number of television programs direct their viewers to access an Internet website for further information on a presented topic. The explicit link between television programs and companion Internet websites, both of which communicate information through multiple modes, can be considered a form of intertextuality. Do college students actually avail themselves of TV-Internet connections? Do they believe that this type of intertextuality influences their reading practices? This article reports research on these questions and then explores the implications of TV-Internet intertextuality for literacy and pedagogy.

An Analysis Of Feedback Given To Strong And Weak Student Writers, Janet L.D. Dinnen, Rachel M.B. Collopy

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Improvement-oriented feedback has been shown to be more effective at raising writing achievement than simple evaluative feedback. This study investigates whether teachers differ in the feedback they give to weak and strong writers as well as how feedback differs across grades. Interviews were conducted with 15 teachers about the feedback they gave students on their writing. Contrary to expectations, analyses indicate that both weak and strong writers received minimal improvement-oriented feedback. However, strong writers received more positive evaluative feedback while weak writers received more negative evaluative feedback. This research has implications for both teacher education and the professional development of …

Brave, Determined, And Strong: Books For Girls (And Sometimes Boys), Barbara A. Ward, Terrell A. Young

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Today’s teachers need to choose texts that provide strong role models for young readers, both male and female. When choosing a book for a girl, merely reaching for any old book with female characters isn’t enough. Care should be taken to find books that feature strong female literary role models, allowing girls to explore their own identities, claim their own voices, and gain confidence, particularly during the adolescent years. The expectations of society and peers often prompt girls to assume false identities. In addition, finding and becoming true to oneself is an arduous task that can be made easier through …

Reading Horizons Vol. 49 No. 3

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Complete issue of Reading Horizons volume 49, issue 3.

Kindergarten Teachers Speak Out: “Too Much, Too Soon, Too Fast!”, Patricia A. Gallant

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This article presents results of a study of 229 kindergarten teachers who completed a survey designed to gather information about the current state of Michigan kindergartens. In addition to detailed data that reveals teachers’ literacy instructional practices, teachers provided written responses to the following open-ended questions: What are the main issues facing kindergarten teachers? What, if anything, would make a difference in your ability to provide the type of program you would like to provide? What kind of professional development would be useful to kindergarten teachers? Teachers identified issues related to working conditions (time, class size, materials) and literacy instruction …

From The Editor, Allison Baer

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Introduction to issue by editor Allison Baer.

Parental Assets: A Pathway To Positive Child Educational Outcomes, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Yeong Hun Yeo, Kate Irish, Min Zhan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A growing body of evidence suggests parental assets have positive effects on children's well-being. Using 2004 data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, this study tests the effect of parental asset holding on child educational outcomes, and explores whether parental involvement and expectations mediate this relationship. Results indicate that assets are a significant predictor of all child academic outcomes of our study; however, income is not a significant predictor for school outcomes when controlling for assets. The mediation analyses show the effect of assets on school outcomes is mediated by two of the three parenting measures: parental expectations …

Fluency, Text Structure, And Retelling: A Complex Relationship, Lynn Cohen, Rosanne L. Krustedt, Maria May

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This study examined the relationship between fluency and comprehension, specifically related to the text structures of narration and dialogue. Using descriptive statistics, this investigation first examined fluency and comprehension of three teacher educators and then through action research examined fluency and comprehension of five third grade students. Our findings showed that, as measured by retelling, the text structures of narration and dialogue impacted both fluency rate and comprehension.

Reading Horizons Vol. 49 No. 2

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Complete issue of Reading Horizons vol. 49 issue 2.

The Relationship Of Drawing, Writing, Literacy And Math In Kindergarten Children, Susan Steffani, Paula M. Selvester

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This study supports and extends previous research that suggests there is a relationship between picture naming and a variety of other factors that impact early literacy. The study explores the picture naming/representing ability of kindergarteners (n = 20), their ability to name and draw pictures of objects they could and could not immediately identify, and their early literacy and math assessments. Significant results were found for 1) drawing ratings and alphabet writing, and 2) alphabet writing, geometric shape sorting, and rhyming. Relationships between kindergarteners’ picturing naming and drawing and their early literacy assessment performance are explored.

From The Editor, Allison Baer

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Introduction to issue by editor Allison Baer.

The Reading Experiences And Beliefs Of Secondary Pre-Service, Peggy Daisey

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The purpose of this study was to describe secondary pre-service teachers’ past reading experiences, present attitudes and beliefs about reading, their attitudes and beliefs about a required content area literacy course, and their predicted use of reading in future instruction. Secondary pre-service teachers (N = 124) of diverse subject areas completed four surveys during the required course. Responses of those who enjoyed reading throughout their lives were compared to responses for those who did not enjoy reading. The results of the study suggest that secondary pre-service teachers might benefit from reflecting upon their past positive reading experiences and attempt to …

Books That Especially Appeal To Boy Readers, Terrell A. Young, Barbara A. Ward

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Many of today’s teachers want to create lifelong readers, and, in particular, they often worry about finding books that will engage their boy readers.

The following books were reviewed for Grades K-2:
Grimes, Nikki. (2008). Barack Obama: Son of promise, child of hope
Hector, Julian. (2008). The little matador
Kay, Julia. (2008). Gulliver Snip
Meserve, Jessica. (2008). Can anybody hear me?
Smith, J. D. (2008). The best mariachi in the world/El major Mariachi del Mundo

Grades 3-5:
Broach, Elise. (2008). Masterpiece
Henkes, Kevin. (2008). Bird Lake moon
Krull, Kathleen and Brewer, Paul. (2008). Fartiste: An explosively funny, mostly true story …