Reading Comprehension Strategies
By Jennifer Padua

Improving Comprehension with Think Aloud Strategies by Jeffrey D. Wilhelm (New York, NY: Scholastic, 2001).

Students who are strong readers intuitively develop the habit of generating thoughts and asking questions while interacting with the text. Good readers are aware that these strategies, which occur during reading, assist comprehension. As parents and educators, we know that modeling is critical to learning. But how do we model thought processes? In this book, Jeffrey Wilhelm explains how to model thinking aloud and describes other strategies that help develop reading comprehension. If you are a parent, family member, or educator who wants to encourage good reading skills among early readers, this book is for you.

Fables Offer Valuable Lessons
By Patricia von Oelhoffen

Fables from the Garden by Leslie Ann Hayashi; illustrated by Kathleen Wong Bishop (Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii Press, 1998).

In these fables, a lonely orchid and his neighbors, the roses, learn that “friends respect, appreciate, and even celebrate each other’s differences” (p. 6). The crown flower comes to realize that “there are many ways for each of us to soar” (p. 20), and a Chinese rose beetle sees that “excuses are like clouds; they carry no weight” (p. 24). Plants, birds, insects, reptiles, and amphibians are described and beautifully illustrated in the “Notes About the Garden” section.

Fables from the Sea by Leslie Ann Hayashi; illustrated by Kathleen Wong Bishop (Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii Press, 2000).

In these tales, readers meet many inhabitants of tropical oceans. A tiny shrimp bravely goes to the aid of a moray eel, learning that “an act of kindness, no matter how small, should never be forgotten” (p. 6). When a flounder’s eyes and body transform, she and her playmates find that “a different point of view can often help you to see better” (p. 24). Colorful drawings and descriptions of crustaceans, sea jellies, echinoderms, fishes, mollusks, and seabirds in the “Notes about the Sea” section are both fun and informative.

Teens Can Lighten the Stress
By Patricia von Oelhoffen

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff for Teens: Simple Ways to Keep Your Cool in Stressful Times by Richard Carlson, Ph.D. (New York, NY: Hyperion, 2000).

By using the 100 strategies described in this book, teens and their parents can learn how to remain calm in stressful situations. Carlson urges teens to focus not on day-to-day irritants, but on ways in which they can and do make a difference in this world: through acts that are generous, thoughtful, helpful, and kind, and by standing up for what’s right. Other messages to teens include:

• have confidence in your abilities, intuition, and wisdom;
• focus on possibilities and not limitations;
• avoid letting low moods trick you;
• take life one day at a time, and make each day the best it can be;
• like who you are right now;
• appreciate this period in your life;
• remain optimistic; and
• notice things your parents do right.

As teens and adults learn to accept life and to avoid letting the “small stuff” get to them, they will learn to cope in healthier ways, becoming happier and more content in the process. In time, even the big things won’t seem insurmountable.