Discusses the need to incorporate the use of language in language-related activities rather than just skills such as reading, writing, and the mechanics of language. An annotated bibliography of 12 titles that incorporate language play is included. (LRW)

Examines criticism of and resistance to Robert Cormier's young adult novel "The Chocolate War." Argues that the book should be taught as tragedy and that teachers should pay their high school students the compliment of assuming their humanity and thus their need and ability to grapple with true tragedy. (SR)

Presents brief descriptions of 38 children's books that are "inspiring." Organizes books in six sections: inspiring lives; inspirational characters; inspirational family times; inspirational celebrations; inspiration rising from adversity; and "too good to miss." (SR)

Presents a case study of the experiences of six girls with the "Phoenix Quest" (PQ) computer game and compares the responses of 41 boys and 57 girls to the same game. PQ was designed to explore language and mathematics in ways appealing to girls. Celebrating and challenging a female protagonist was important to girls. (SLD)

Reviews basic principles underlying word learning and phonics instruction. Discusses approaches to teaching phonics. Draws some tentative conclusions on how an integrated language-arts programs that includes phonics instruction might look in first-grade classrooms. (PA)

Discusses six books written for professional educators, discussing them in two groups; those that tell educators about a particular type of children's literature, and books that show how to engage children in literature study. (SR)

Muses on the power of words and how they shape people's lives. Relates stories from the author's life illustrating this, and relates the author's (a writer of novels for children and young adults) struggles and rewards as she works with words. (SR)

Notes that the author likes to involve her students in the evolving literary canon. Uses "The Shipping News" (E. Annie Proulx, 1993) as a model to illustrate why and how a new book enters the classroom. Describes introducing it, analyzing sentence structure in voice, character analysis, metaphor, writing assignments, and other teachers'…

Discusses a mystery novel ("The Butcher's Theater" by Jonathan Kellerman) in which one detective has a physical disability and another has a learning disability. Discusses how this novel and a specific read-aloud from it can create an awareness of what disabilities are and how to acknowledge them. Notes specific language-arts activities related to…

Describes an activity in which students explore how animals hide in nature by using protective coloring and camouflage. Integrates science, math, language arts, art, and physical movement. (SAH)

Discusses a study of oral communication's place in the English language arts curriculum of K-12 schools based on a telephone survey of all 50 states and an examination of curriculum frameworks. Analyzes major conceptual bases and organizational patterns. Finds that over 60% of the frameworks give extensive treatment to oral communication, but…

Offers a peek inside the journals kept by a well-known language-arts educator, which he uses as a repository for his thoughts, drawings, articles of interest, notes from conversations with others on his own work, the work of others, and education in general. Shows how the journal is an "audit trail" of its owner's learning. (SR)

Discusses changes in the field of young adult literature since the 1980s. Examines how the definition of "young adult" has evolved. Offers a brief overview of the history of young adult literature from the 1940s. Considers the rise of awards for merit in young adult publishing, noting three in particular. Concludes this is a golden age of young…

Offers brief descriptions from seven English teachers of how and for what purpose they have used an unusual film in their English classroom. (SR)

Presents the authors' varying perspectives as teacher researchers reflecting on their first-time implementation of a cross-age, primary-grade literacy project. Identifies several themes as important sites of difference among the teacher-researchers. (SR)