A PUBLICATION OF THE FLORIDA READING ASSOCIATION

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Volume 40, No. 2, December 2003

Table of Contents

 Articles

Fluency:  Untapped Potential in the Intermediate Grades! ................................................... 6

Cynthia Kamsler

A remedial reading teacher shares research supported techniques for developing oral fluency that she successfully used with struggling readers grades three through fifth.

Effective Spelling Instruction ................................................................................................ 14

Lynn Oltmanns Olson

Spelling instruction has been shown to be most effective using direct instruction and structured practice.  Specific suggestions are provided to help elementary students develop and apply spelling skills within the language arts.

ABC’s:  Activity-Based Comprehension Strategies ............................................................ 26

 Madeline Kovarik

 Comprehension is a critical component of all reading instruction.  Traditional instruction using skill sheets is often inadequate.  Activity-based comprehension strategies involving cooperative learning, multiple modalities, and the arts increase student engagement.  This article provides a rationale for activity-based comprehension and presents several classroom strategies.

Features and Information

Editor of The Florida Reading Quarterly....................................................................... 4

President’s Message..................................................................................................... 5

FRA Candidate for Vice-President ............................................................................ 11

Feature:
            Raising our Voices – Teacher educators discuss issues in literacy
            Interview with Lisa Delpit:  Discovering Brilliance in Our Children
            Nile Stanley.................................................................................................. 12

Feature:
           Poetry Break!
           Allan Wolf..................................................................................................... 19
           Karen Alexander......................................................................................... 20
           Pam Donehew.............................................................................................. 21

2004 FRA Annual Conference Information................................................................ 24

Children’s Book Award............................................................................................... 25

Feature:
            Technology Talk: Using MS Word to Support Reading
            Terence W. Cavanaugh.............................................................................. 30

FRA Scholarships and Awards.................................................................................... 33

Directory of Publishers............................................................................................... 35

FRA Board of Directors, Staff, and Local Council Presidents................................... 38

List of Honor Councils................................................................................................ 39

IRA Application Form................................................................................................. 40

Florida Reading Conference Call for Proposals......................................................... 41

FRA Application Form................................................................................................ 43