ABSTRACT
Primary grade teachers are well aware of the importance of a classroom filled with good literature. Baumann, Hoffman, Moon, and Duffy-Hester (1998) surveyed teachers throughout the United States, finding strong evidence that teachers are committed to using children’s literature. Over 80% of first-grade teachers who responded to the survey reported using big books and trade books. Almost all prekindergarten-Grade 2 teachers (97%) said they regularly read aloud to their students. Of the teachers responding, 94% held the goal of developing readers who are “independent and motivated to choose, appreciate, and enjoy literature” (p. 641). Furthermore, the majority of the teachers agreed that children must be immersed in literature if they are to become fluent readers.
