This collection of essays examines component areas of constructing a reading curriculum, including the concepts, rationales, and practical aspects that affect curriculum development. The first essay calls for a reading curriculum that incorporates developing proficiency in word recognition and comprehension, and emphasizes quality literature. The…

Teachers, supervisors, and administrators need to have perspectives pertaining to the future in a quality reading program. A forward looking reading program emphasizes the following aspects: (1) starting instruction where each student presently is in achievement; (2) teaching diverse word recognition techniques; (3) increasing the purpose for…

The advantages and disadvantages of state mandated and locally developed curricula are discussed. State mandates emphasize a measurement philosophy of education in which testing is the name of the game to determine how well students are achieving. One of the advantages of a state mandated curriculum is that the curriculum is aligned with the…

This report provides important criteria for the effective teaching of community college English. The following suggestions are presented to instructors in order to facilitate optimal student learning in college English courses: (1) present content in a meaningful manner, with emphasis on clarifying relevant facts, concepts, and generalizations;…

Science teachers need to select tenets from the philosophy of education which stress student attainment of vital context, abilities, and attitudes. This paper discusses diverse schools of philosophical thought in terms of how each might relate to improving the science curriculum. For example, a science teacher who is a realist emphasizes that one…

Professional educators must be aware of issues involved pertaining to the development of relevant objectives, learning experiences, and evaluation procedures to be used in teaching-learning situations, and these issues should be clarified in terms of the thinking of selected educators of the past as well as leading professionals in the field of…

A high quality reading readiness program should be available for each student beginning reading. Such a program should be sequential and should emphasize (1) securing the students' interest in reading, and in achieving reading skills, (2) attaching meaning to content being studied in a reading readiness program, (3) providing for each student's…

Discussing various aspects of the language arts curriculum, this guide contains the following essays: (1) "Listening and the Child in the Language Arts Curriculum," which details a philosophy for teaching and learning in the language arts; (2) "Creative Writing in the Curriculum," which outlines ways teachers can help students achieve creatively;…