A majority of teachers in the school are now supplementing reading instruction with a literaturebased reading approach wherein individual children select, read and discuss books from the school's library. This approach has been very well received by the teachers who have voluntarily implemented it, and it has been successfully used with students at all grade levels in the school. The literature-based reading approach was first brought to the school by teachers returning from a 1986 conference on programs for gifted and talented students. Initially used by three teachers with full support of the principal, the approach is now being used by three of four teachers of grade two, two of three teachers of grade three, two of four teachers of grade four and both teachers of grade five. Growth of use of the program has resulted from teachers' interest and voluntary application of the approach in their classrooms.
Teachers can apply the approach in a variety of ways.
All students can be involved in literature-based reading after they complete their daily work, or all students can use their books for the reading period one day each week. Some teachers use combinations of these applications. All teachers are, however, following the approach and implementing major program components. This helps students understand the wide variety of books available to them and leads to familiarity with such literary terms as fiction, nonfiction, biography, fantasy and others. Still using the story, students learn to identify and describe what happens, who is involved, and the situation place, and time of the action.