From the Department of Small Victories

Staff -- School Library Journal, 5/1/1998

The newspapers trumpeted it as an end to the "reading wars" between proponents of whole language and proponents of phonics. But for librarians, the new reading report from the National Research Council is significant for another reason: it doesn't ignore libraries.

The report, "Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children," says that schools with many students at risk for reading problems should have "extra resources" to ensure that things like class size, instructional materials, and school libraries are at least equal to such resources in schools with fewer struggling readers. It also urges elementary schools to promote independent reading, in part by working with public libraries.

You can order a copy of the report (ISBN 0-309-06418-X) for $28.76 through the National Academy Press web site (www.nap.edu), where you'll also find a full-text version, or by calling (800) 624-6242.