Discusses the centers of language in the brain and the critical period for language acquisition. Explains developmental milestones of language development--receptive language, babbling, short phrases, full sentences--in the context of brain development. Emphasizes parents' role in language development, including talking to the child, dialogic…

A random sample of directors of programs for the deaf in North America were surveyed to get their views about the skills that teacher education programs need to be teaching future teachers of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. The directors were queried about literacy practices, classroom management strategies, and communication strategies…

The federal government's more than thirty-year attempt to solve the problems of poverty--in particular, the diminished life chances of children from low-income households--has been, according to these authors, largely unsuccessful. Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 is, and has been, the most heavily funded…

According to statistics compiled by the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL), more than 40% of working-age adults in the United States lack the requisite skills and education to succeed in life (Merrifield, 1998). In the field of adult education, however, there is much debate about how programs can best serve…

My purpose for writing this commentary is to reflect on how one teacher attempted to utilize the philosophies and practices of Paolo Freire, Augusto Boal, and Myles Horton in a graduate level, educational foundations classroom. I take as my premise the view that pedagogical practice is political and that the processes of studying and changing…

Now that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA, 2004) has been reauthorized, states have the option of discontinuing the use of IQ-achievement discrepancy formulas and using Response to Intervention (RTI) criteria as part of the special education identification process. This change has dramatic implications for…

The workbook, one in a series on survival skills for adults learning English as a Second Language, focuses on development of communication skills, knowledge, and attitudes relating to pregnancy, prenatal care, and childbirth. An introductory section outlines the language functions taught and specific performance objectives within each function…

This curriculum guide was developed and updated for a 2-year project conducted to improve the productivity of the work force through improvement of literacy skills in the workplace by providing instruction to employees in the printing industry in the Baltimore (Maryland) metropolitan area; Carroll County and Charles County, Maryland; and York,…

This pack of materials is designed to help students working to improve their basic skills as part of their catering course. It consists of six sections: oral communication, reading, writing, communication without words, application of number, and information technology. The individual sections of the pack are divided into task sheets and fact…

This is the final report of a cooperative basic skills and literacy project of El Camino College (California) and two companies, BP Chemicals/Hitco Inc. and a division of the Hughes Aircraft Company. An extension of an earlier workplace program with BP chemicals, the program provided basic mathematics, reading, and English-as-a-Second-Language…

This paper discusses the origin and philosophy of the whole language movement, focusing on the learning theory, language attitudes, language acquisition, and reading processes employed by the approach. The roles of teachers, learners, parents, and student evaluation in the whole language approach are then examined. The paper then addresses how…

This paper examines the process of selecting, evaluating, integrating, and cataloging multicultural texts for school libraries. the first part examines the selection and evaluation of culturally authentic texts. Seven sources for locating multicultural literature and several reviewing sources are listed. The following criteria for evaluating…

This volume is the second in a series (developed in response to a needs assessment survey of special educators in Alberta, Canada) providing practical suggestions about instructional strategies, classroom management, preparing individual program plans, and understanding special needs. The book's four sections focus on the instruction of students…

A survey measured the attitudes of sixth-graders in one school district concerning the school's elementary foreign language program, with the intent of improving the program's design and content. Students identified these program strengths: organized and prepared teachers; respectful teachers; interesting lessons; positive student attitudes toward…

The content and design of a workplace communication workshop jointly sponsored by a university teachers' center and a local union are described. The workshop objective is to provide workers for whom English is a second language with upgraded writing skills needed to fill out report forms, improved document reading skills for reading charts and…