Writing teachers are currently faced with another paradigm shift. Some 25 years ago, a fledgling field of composition studies advocated the switch from a traditional product view to a process view of teaching writing. Recently, new studies and books are emerging which critique this view as insufficient. The pragmatic view of writing instruction…

This paper reviews the history, definitions, descriptions, and current trends in whole language, an alternative language teaching philosophy. The entire construct of motivation is reviewed and defined. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the implementation of the whole language approach affects student motivation in an English as a…

This study compared the "Bridge" experimental reading program and whole language instruction with 106 economically disadvantaged first graders at risk for reading difficulties. The "Bridge" program uses icons or picture symbols to facilitate print word identification. The "Bridge" group performed significantly better…

Outlines the most important 20th century developments in reading instruction for young children, analyzing why an approach was tried, and presenting results of these instructional efforts. It is concluded that the current perspective that seems to meet the needs of most children is that of emergent literacy. (SLD)

This article applies whole language techniques to children with cultural and linguistic differences and provides guidelines for enabling speech-language pathologists to assume a role of active involvement. Whole language can provide a context for involvement in the areas of bilingual education and other language and dialect learning and for…

Reports on what factors teachers say have influenced their beliefs and instructional practices concerning reading. Finds that both subskills-oriented and whole language teachers identified their classroom experiences as teachers as the single greatest influence on their beliefs about reading and reading instruction. (RS)

Comments on six points of belief commonly held by whole language teachers. Considers how computers can facilitate teaching and learning in ways that are consistent with those points of belief. (MG)

Shares a curriculum framework based on six aspects of literacy: ownership, reading comprehension, writing process, word identification, language and vocabulary knowledge, and voluntary reading. Notes that this framework is consistent with a whole literacy approach, and includes an assessment system and provisions for accountability. (MG)

The article explains how elementary teachers can strike a balance between whole language and traditional approaches to reading instruction, describing successful programs and sharing several teachers' suggestions for combining the two methods in the classroom. A list of reading resources is included. (SM)

Disputes the version of whole language presented by Michael McKenna et al. in the preceding article. Argues that whole language is an educational paradigm complete with theoretical, philosophical, and political assumptions and a congruent research agenda. Contends that "paradigm blindness" prevents critics from seeing the legitimacy of…

Describes a whole-language, interdisciplinary summer program for school and college teachers. From hands-on exploration and reading and writing about self-selected topics, participants learned to understand theory and practice of whole-language instruction and to explore implications for their own teaching. (SM)

Describes the reorganization of teacher education methods courses at University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Lists whole language tenets, large group session topics, and sample integrations for prekindergarten through middle school grades. Asserts that the experience demonstrated the benefits of the whole language philosophy. (PRA)

Reviews four books on issues and concerns surrounding kindergarten entrance requirements, assessment, and curriculum: (1) "Kindergarten Policies: What Is Best for Children" (Peck and others); (2) "Changing Kindergartens: Four Success Stories (Goffin and Stealing, Eds.); (3) "Teaching Kindergarten: A Developmentally Appropriate Approach" (Walmsley…

Summarizes the latest issues and research on reading that are of particular interest to classroom teachers. Discusses phonics versus whole language, meeting individual student needs, matching teaching strategies to grade levels, the reading-writing link, and using technology to support instruction. (WRM)

Compared the longitudinal effects of phonics and whole-language instruction on kindergartners' reading and writing task performance over one year. Found that the whole-language group made more progress in reading and writing, and with more developmental coherence, than the phonics group. (JPB)