Increasingly, foreign nationals living in Japan are sending their children to Japanese elementary schools. This requires that the children's native language be taught outside of school, most often at home. While teaching oral language is not difficult for parents, teaching reading requires different skills. Some difficulties in this process are…

This paper is in large part a critique of Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences presented in his 1983 book "Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences," and asserts that the multiple intelligences (MI) concept has been widely misinterpreted. The paper outlines some of the misconceptions of Gardner's theory as identified by…

This article discusses ineffective practices and educational outcomes attributed to the whole language approach which may stem from other educational dynamics, such as failure to provide adequate training or mentoring to teachers, confusing language as a communication process with language arts skills, and failure to apply known principles of…

Two school districts that implemented a whole language curriculum were studied to determine how well students learned traditional reading and writing skills. Analysis of standardized testing, teacher and administrator interviews, and whole language theories indicated students were learning skills as well as they had with a traditional curriculum.…

A teacher of elementary deaf students describes the value of using "big books," which allow groups of students to share text and pictures, as an effective learning resource both for deaf students and for older students with learning disabilities. Seventeen big books in such areas as multicultural education, science and industry,…

Primary teachers completed the Theoretical Orientation to Reading Profile and Primary Teacher Questionnaire to determine their endorsement of developmentally appropriate practice. Results indicated a substantial congruence between the constructs underlying the notion of developmentally appropriate practice and those that are fundamental to a whole…

This article discusses the concept of world knowledge and its relevance to intervention processes. Roles of linguistic and physical context in interpretation and levels of speaker experience are discussed. Levels of involvement are related to communication goals, and these principles are extended to applications in the teaching of language skills.…

Describes the Thematic Experience Approach, designed to build on positive experiences that enlarge the high school dropout's perspective while building self-esteem, background knowledge, and reading ability. Describes a sample unit dealing with legal rights as presented in a history class, a futures class, and two language arts classes. (RS)

Presents a schematic framework of the process and merits of the whole language approach to achieving literacy. This framework, a four-part annotated chart, is used to orient new teachers and to inform parents quickly about instructional goals, mission, values, and directions being taken to achieve them. (ET)

Examined a kindergarten teacher's implementation of a whole-language program and her students' responses to questions about reading, such as, Can you read? What can you read? What is reading? and When did you learn to read? Seventy-five percent of the children indicated that they had learned to read during kindergarten or when they were…

Five generalizations for reading instruction with disabled and normal readers are presented: (1) caring, positive relationship between teacher and student; (2) the role of rereading and daily reading; (3) appropriate materials; (4) interest as a springboard to learning; and (5) the unification of instruction. (DB)

This article explores the assumptions of traditional remedial and learning disabilities education and summarizes empirical evidence challenging this approach; examines the assumptions underlying whole language and the teacher's role in a whole language context; presents data on the efficacy of whole language instructional programs; and discusses…

This article discusses ways to teach low vision students to read braille, including both parallel instruction (the student learns to read print and braille simultaneously) and nonparallel instruction (the print-reading student learns braille). The following approaches are briefly described: basal reader, language experience, whole language,…

The article describes attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and how it affects learning, notes why whole language provides one of the best settings for students with ADHD, and discusses strategies for adapting the whole-language classroom to meet the needs of many different kinds of learners. (SM)

Elementary and middle school teachers surveyed in rural South Dakota indicated that a combination of phonics, skills, and holistic instruction occurred most often in their reading programs. This suggests that most school districts take an eclectic approach to reading instruction and use the best components from various approaches. (LP)