This paper describes development of the whole language movement and the writing-process movement. It outlines 10 principles shared by both movements, such as the role of prediction, function before form, and integrated use of cuing systems. Implications for language specialists working with language-disordered students are addressed. (JDD)

A developmental model combining both skills and whole language instruction in four phases is offered for literacy development in children with mild handicaps. The four phases, common to literacy development in all children, move from pretend reading, writing, and spelling, to the transitional stage of fluency at approximately a third grade level.…

A yearlong study investigated the effects of whole language-based instruction on the writing development of eight Spanish-speaking and eight English-speaking kindergarten children. The writing skills of the Spanish-speaking children developed similarly to those of the English-speaking children, refuting rationales used to place Spanish-speaking…

This annotated bibliography of instructional media in communication skills presents annotations of 112 books and videotapes for students in grades from pre-kindergarten through grade 12, and of 38 books and videos for teachers. The material in the bibliography for students consists mostly of poetry collections published in 1990 and 1991. The…

A study investigated how writing skills were taught and learned in one low-SES, urban, whole language primary classroom. Participants were three teachers who team-taught a group of primary-age children and 11 children who were considered conventional writers, 3 of whom had learning disabilities. Teachers and children were observed twice a month…

A curriculum designed by the Maury, Tennessee, Literacy Council to address deficiencies in English-language skills is presented. Maury County, Tennessee, is a rural area south of Nashville whose automotive industries and ethnic restaurants have immigrant populations in need of English instruction. A state 353 teacher training grant was obtained to…

Innovative methods and strategies are described for teaching writing to potentially English proficient (PEP) students (also known as "limited English proficient"), who may or may not be literate in their native language, using holistic natural approaches. The approaches are based on the premise that students acquire language (speaking,…

The paper presented at this conference, the theme of which was "Celebrating Literacy," focused on theories and applications of literature-based education and the use of holistic methods across the curriculum. Following an introduction by the editors, the book contains the following 12 papers: "Windows and Mirrors: Children's Books…

Serving as a guide for teachers interested in implementing a whole language philosophy within their classrooms and as a resource for teachers who have whole language classrooms, this annotated bibliography presents thorough annotations of 12 selected texts published between 1979 and 1992 encouragement and support for the whole language philosophy.…

Emergent and beginning readers demonstrate many predictable behaviors in the kindergarten classroom, yet every child is making sense out of print in his or her own way. The job of the kindergarten teacher is to help each child to continue developing as a reader and writer. Reading and writing materials are accessible and usable throughout a…

This practicum sought to increase the opportunities for 17 first-grade students to write for real, human reasons and in natural circumstances. They were to use writing as a natural and acceptable outlet for expression, and to conceive of their writing as an extension of themselves. Each day a name was drawn to take home a stuffed bear, which…

Reading comprehension is much more than a decoding of the printed words on the page; it is, rather, a complex interaction between readers and their personal past experiences as they relate to the text. A connection between the text and past experiences of the readers can stimulate expectations about the text. Facilitating these links presupposes a…

This ethnographic study was conducted in order to (1) investigate the forces affecting the literacy practices of first year teachers, (2) examine factors that foster the creativity, innovation and growth of teachers, and (3) describe some exemplary literacy practices of beginning teachers. Three beginning teachers in an urban midwestern school…

Early childhood education majors enrolled in a reading methods course completed a questionnaire on teaching writing. In general, the students supported a process approach to teaching writing, believed that such an approach could be easily implemented in a classroom, and intended to use a process approach themselves. (PCB)

Discusses the Reading Recovery, whole-language, and Montessori approaches to the teaching of reading, suggesting the use of the reading recovery approach for those children who experience difficulty reading and writing in a Montessori classroom. Notes that Reading Recovery emphasizes writing to generate meaning, focusing on children constructing…