Celebrating the Power of Literacy. The Twenty-Sixth Yearbook: A Peer Reviewed Publication of The College Reading Association [Papers from the College Reading Association Conference, 2004]

This Yearbook begins with Robert J. Rickelman's presidential speech, "Predicting the Whether: Lessons Learned from the Past," which focused on looking at the "History of the College Reading Association" in order to predict some possible (the "whether") courses for the future of the organization. The author relied extensively on the "History of the College Reading Association: 1958-1998" (Alexander & Strode, 1999) as well as his own personal experiences from the past 25 years as a member and leader within the organization. The papers comprising this Yearbook that follow Rickelman's presidential address are: (1) Fast Start: Successful Literacy Instruction That Connects Schools and Homes (Nancy Padak and Tim Rasinski); (2) Preparing Elementary Teachers in Reading: Will University-Based Programs Move Forward or be "Left Behind" (James V. Hoffman); (3) Latino Children's Literature Is Mainstream (Becky Chavarria-Chairez); (4) Reflections, Remembrances and Resonances (Albert J. Mazurkiewicz); (5) Sharing Storybooks: A Study with Families from Diverse Cultural Backgrounds (Jacqueline Lynch); (6) The Effects of Visualization Instruction on First Graders' Story Retelling (Tracy Zimmerman); (7) Tuning into the Sounds of Language: Teaching Phonemic Awareness through Rhymes, Songs, Poetry and Children's Literature (JoAnn R. Dugan, Barrie A. Brancato, and Jocelynn L. Smrekar); (8) Teaching Fluently: Exploring Teaching Practices in Divergent Certification Programs (Catherine Zeek and Carole Walker); (9) Reading and Auditory Processing: A Collaborative Project (Daniel H. Sisterhen, Martha J. Larkin, Cathleen Doheny, and Donna M. Harkins); (10) Learner-Centered Teachers' Approaches to Literacy Instruction: Are They "Best Practice?" (Barbara Combs); (11) Author Study Inquiry Promotes "Theory into Practice" for Teaching Literacies (Linda S. Wold); (12) The Value of Interactive Writing as an Intervention for the Literacy Acquisition of Struggling First-Grade Students (Barbara K. O'Connor); (13) Engaging Preservice Teachers in Reading, "Sticky Note" Style: An Analysis and Practical Implications (Christene A. McKeon, Michelle L. Lenarz, and Linda C. Burkey); (14) Impacting Literacy Politics, Policies, and Legislation: Moving from Inactive Idlers and Reactive Regretters to Proactive Professionals (Francine Falk-Ross, Mona W. Matthews, Mary Beth Sampson, Barbara J. Fox, Jill Lewis, Maryann Mraz, Jill Reddish, D. Ray Reutzel, and Loraine T. Pace); (15) An Intervention Program for