ABSTRACT
As Wilson and Gillaspy illustrate, reading conferences encompass a broad spectrum of practices. With my primary (kindergarten and first-grade) and elementary (fourth- and fifth-grade) students, I have also used a variety of other forums for discussing texts, including one-on-one book discussions, guided reading groups, literature circles, reading response journals, and peer response to readers’ theater. The variety of conferences promoted more in-depth reading; addressed accountability; ensured that students wanted to read, and read for a variety of purposes; spurred conversations about text that engaged their intellect; promoted their sense of inquiry; and helped them critically examine predictions and inferences.
