The National Center for Leadership in Intensive Intervention (NCLII), a consortium funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), prepares special education leaders to become experts in research on intensive intervention for students with disabilities who have persistent and severe academic (e.g., reading and math) and behavioral…

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a system of international assessments that measures 15-year-olds? capabilities in reading literacy, mathematics literacy, and science literacy every 3 years. PISA was first implemented in 2000 and is carried out by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an…

Discusses language across the curriculum movement and its impact on current social studies teaching. Asserts that social studies as a form of literacy means being able to understand the world from multiple perspectives. Recommends that social studies teachers implement inquiry and language principles across the curriculum. (CFR)

Describes experiences of a fifth grade teacher who converted her classroom to a whole language teaching and learning environment. In her child-centered classroom, she emphasizes student empowerment and decision making, cooperative learning, and flexibility. Her top priority is for students to participate and learn critical thinking and…

Predicated on the belief that current methods for assessing literacy give policymakers too narrow a view of performance and should be augmented by the informed professional judgment of classroom teachers, this report appraises how well schools in the United States are meeting the goal of a literate populace. The report seeks to improve…

This Study Circle is based on research conducted by a team led by Victoria Purcell-Gates. Their research examines the relationships between two dimensions of literacy instruction (the degree of authenticity of activities and texts and the degree of student/teacher collaboration) and changes in the literacy practices of students outside the…

Based on the premise that the fairy tale genre can be effectively used as the content base for teaching reading, writing, and thinking skills and processes, this book offers educators ideas and techniques that promote multiple intelligences, critical thinking, creative problem solving, and problem- and product-based learning. Drawing on Bloom's…

Demonstrates ways that a classroom teacher can get a distorted picture of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students and their resources and how viewing literacy in a social context illustrates the way relationships are negotiated. Suggestions are made for teachers to create ESL classrooms where the role of literacy in students' lives can be…

Features of an effective citizenship program for primary grade children are discussed. The primary school years are an ideal time to nurture the basic skills and values so important for constructive social decision making. The principal feature of an effective citizenship learning program for young children is an activist, child-centered…

This curriculum guide presents a model for instruction in drama and theater education that integrates dramatic art in the elementary curriculum and addresses the developmental needs of all students. Part I outlines curriculum goals related to skills, attitudes, and understanding. These goals are to: (1) create and evaluate drama and theater…

In order to promote critical thinking in young children, particularly children ages 5-8, teachers need to understand skills and dispositions of critical thinkers. This paper discusses these skills, dispositions, and the appropriate classroom climate, within the context of pedagogy, along with learning activities for kindergarten and primary…