Describes eight assorted activities, all based on the use of almanacs, that offer high-interest activities developing skills which students can use in other, later work--activities that can be interspersed throughout the year during those unplannable days that occur at the ends of units, on days before breaks, or when everyone needs a break from…

Maintains that viewing should be incorporated as an integral element in whole language curricula. Suggests a number of activities for the secondary school language arts classroom, pertaining to specific tenets of the whole language approach. (TB)

Offers some ground rules for using collaborative learning effectively in the secondary English class. Describes three assignments involving collaborative effort that the author has used successfully in her teaching. (SR)

The Learning Cycle, a popular medium for teaching science lessons, can be used to teach a language arts lesson on acronyms, an appropriate skill topic for students in grades four through six. Acronyms are fascinating words that can challenge students to solve the puzzle of what the letters stand for. The three-phase Learning Cycle arranges…

Writing is a fundamental skill for students to develop. A learning environment should be in evidence which assists students to achieve more optimally in writing. Writing activities should be interesting, purposeful, meaningful, and provide for individual differences. Students need stimulating learning opportunities involving a variety of purposes…

Written for elementary school teachers who want to help their students delve into poetry, this book grows out of a comparison between gardening and writing poetry. Students at the alternative school founded by the book's author work and play on a plot of land near the school; inside, they work and play with words and imagery. Many examples of…

This collection of hands-on ideas for learning materials contains 26 different classroom learning aids for young children which can be used for a variety of language activities. The focus in the collection is on puppetry. The theory behind this collection is that students must be involved in the learning process and that by being an integral part…

This guide contains 65 model lesson plans developed by Delaware public school English/language arts teachers for grades 1-12. Each entry in the guide lists content standards, the type(s) of activities involved in the lesson (for example, class discussion, oral reports, student writing), a description of the activity, and a selection of relevant…

A variety of classroom activities are offered in this paper as ways of exercising children's imaginations. Following a discussion of the need for developing creative thinking in children, some ways to establish the freedom or atmosphere to begin fantasies are offered and a guided fantasy technique for classroom use is outlined. The second half of…

Word lists and class activities are suggested for improving the spelling of elementary school students. The word lists contain rhyming words, antonyms, synonyms, homonyms, 100 spelling demons, look-alike words that are easily confused, and content area words (for geography, mathematics, science, sports, music, social studies). The suggested…

One of a series prepared by the Hawaii Newspaper Agency, this teaching guide offers suggestions on using the newspaper as an instructional aid in the classroom. Following a list of do's and don'ts for teachers who plan to introduce the newspaper to students, this booklet contains general ideas on how to teach students in the language arts and how…

The pilot edition of the curriculum guide for elementary gifted education of the Cranston, Rhode Island, school department offers a resource framework for the presentation of academic material while providing for individual instruction and initiative. The curriculum funded under Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act offers…

Describes unstructured assignments that spark student interest and creativity, and develop skills necessary for coping with the ambiguities of life. (RB)

Discusses the kinds of things teachers can learn from children if they allow their students the freedom to use their language and their imaginations creatively. (HTH)

Focuses on the uses of sand in reading, writing, speaking, and listening activities in preschool and the primary grades. (BB)