Discusses the development of drama as a learning tool for children's language development. Applies James Britton's methods of language classification to the construction of functional categories of language that operate within the framework of drama and creative dramatics. (RL)

The whole-language approach is discussed as a perspective-in-practice anchored in a vision of a equitable, diverse society. (Contains four references.) (LB)

"Journeys Unlimited," a piece of theater-in-education performed by Australia's Bouverie St. Theatre-in-Education team during one term in 1979 and described in this paper, formed an integral component of a larger curriculum development program undertaken in Australian primary schools. This analysis of "Journeys Unlimited" is…

The extended effects of two instructional approaches, the Coordinated Basal Language Arts Approach and the Integrated Experience Approach to Communication, on pupils' language development at the second- and third-grade levels were investigated. Original subjects were 669 first graders who were pretested for readiness and intelligence. Of these,…

Ways that the teacher can make communication skills instruction relevant to the learner are emphasized. It is suggested that teachers (1) learn more about our language structure, (2) study the particular environment and language of students, (3) emphasize strategies of word attack in context rather than teach lists of individual sight words, (4)…

This monograph points out the difficulties in language development of which teachers should be aware, suggests some methods through which children may be helped to overcome comprehension problems, and presents bibliographies helpful for persons who wish to undertake further reading. Chapters include "Some Possible Origins of the Prevalence of…

Examines the values of using a language-experience approach for teaching written composition. Urges teachers to use a variety of stimuli, such as field trips, exploring the environment, films, filmstrips, recordings, to extend and expand the child's experience and language backgrounds to facilitate growth in reading and writing. (Editor/RK)

A study of the oral language of Native American children indicates that many are not proficient enough in English to learn to read. Suggestions are given for language development. (MKM)

Compares two instructional programs--the structure of the Intellect-Learning Abilities and the Language Experience in Reading--utilized in a rural midwestern laboratory school. Reports no significant difference between experimental and control groups in four out of five operation areas, although the control group scored significantly higher in…

The 23 articles chosen for this anthology of Yetta M. Goodman's writings were chosen based on historical importance, centrality to her body of work, availability, and/or ongoing relevance to teachers. The articles in the anthology are grouped to reflect major themes (culture and community; miscue analysis, reading strategies, and comprehension;…

Children can acquire written language skills and abilities through the natural process by which they acquire oral language. If as infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, children are exposed to rich print environments, they transfer assumptions from experiences with oral dialogue to the more focused situations of print. Discrepancies in the ease with…

This paper describes a child-centered first grade classroom where learning to read is viewed as a natural step in the language acquisition process. Discussed in detail are methods of individualizing instruction for four particular children, the use of basal readers, daily writing activities using the Language Experience Approach, and both group…

Maintaining that sentence-combining language experience is the single most beneficial tool currently available to improve student writing, this paper speculates about the value and effects of the adoption of the language experience approach across the English curriculum. It presents six tasks that need to be undertaken by teachers, researchers,…

Since, by the time they enter school, children have developed a major portion of their spoken language system by being immersed in language, it seems probable that they could also apply these rules to the orthographic system if they were immersed in reading. Thus, learning to read by reading would allow the general formation of rules that could…