Three educational leaders--Robert Quackenbush, Geraldine Siks, and David A. Sohn--offer reflections on recent developments regarding activities that stimulate children's creativity, their hopes for the 1980s, and recommended books for teachers. (AEA)

Describes methods developed for a fourth- through sixth- grade writers' workshop designed to teach children to write within certain common structures. Separate workshop sessions dealt with descriptive writing, mood, characterization, adventure stories, tall tales, plays, autobiography, and reporting. (AEA)

Tells how to get maximum use from minimal video production equipment, including using the equipment to record book reviews and vocabulary quiz shows, to resolve conflict, and to showcase the community. (RL)

Five programs for gifted/talented students are described. Programs represented include an identification approach; a creative problem solving program for teachers, parents, and gifted students; a language arts program; an attempt to defuse the anxiety of gifted students; and an elementary program offering differentiated curriculum and flexible age…

Weekly poetry fests, using poetry throughout the curriculum, and giving children a sense of the tremendous variety of poetry are discussed as methods for helping children appreciate poetry. (HTH)

The current state of research on language learning processes is reviewed, and the implications of that research for language arts teachers are discussed. (HTH)

Presents an outline of six basic preparation activities for student actors, including reading the play, doing historical research, elemental exercises, learning the part, creating the character, and exercises in movement and voice. (JMF)

Rexford Brown, Thomas D. Horn, James Sledd, and Rudolph C. Troike discuss the most significant language arts developments of the 1970s, their hopes for the 1980s, and references of value to elementary language arts teachers. (DD)

Discusses the complexity of the experiences dealt with by young children in story telling, their mastery of techniques and literary forms, and the relationships between the stories and the story teller's own life. (DD)

Alvina Treut Burrows, Kellogg W. Hunt, Richard Lloyd-Jones, and Charles Read comment on significant developments in writing during the 1970s, hopes for the 1980s, and important references dealing with teaching children to write. (DD)

Describes how a comparison chart may be used by children in grades three through six to record and organize information from several sources for student reports. (DD)

Jeanne S. Chall, Roger Farr, John C. Manning, Robert B. Ruddell, Russell G. Stauffer, Dorothy S. Strickland, and Richard L. Venezky comment on significant developments in reading during the 1970s, hopes for the 1980s, and important references dealing with teaching children to read. (DD)

Suggests ways to involve children in recording examples of folklore such as superstitions, folk remedies, proverbs, and games. (DD)

Presents the findings of a questionnaire survey of 100 American colleges and universities regarding language arts methods courses and topics. (DD)

Describes a language arts project which used students' own first names as the project theme. (DD)