Long before he was a Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin was world famous for his work in electricity. He challenged the prevailing idea that there were two distinct kinds of electrical fluid, proposing that there is one kind of electricity and two charges. He invented the lightning rod which is still used today and so found a highly practical use…

As theories about identity have shifted over time to viewing it as a multidimensional and ever-evolving process created by social and cultural settings, conceptions of literacy and implications for classroom practices have shifted as well. This book presents studies of students in Grades 3 to 6 at three different United States school sites located…

With the introduction of the "whole language" approach to literacy and an emphasis on "across the curriculum" learning, the effective instruction of writing has taken on an added importance during the past two decades in California. Recent public demands for a "back to basics" school curriculum where the mastering of…

Offering an alternative to traditional language arts methods textbooks, this collection of 20 essays by master teachers is grouped into 4 main sections. Following an introduction, essays in the book are: (1) "Walter" (Vivian Gussin Paley); (2) "Children Become Writers: A Conversation with Two Teachers" (Cyndy Hoffman and Carol…

This paper examines the literature selection and evaluation practices of preservice teachers, investigating trends in choosing and acquiring literature and factors affecting the literature's appeal. Participants were undergraduate students enrolled in a language arts course for elementary school majors who completed a survey and attached it to a…

This book, for grades 9-12, presents primary source materials relating to the poet Nikki Giovanni (including many of Giovanni's poems reprinted in full), easily adaptable lessons and activities, and a resource section for students and teachers wishing to study Giovanni's work further. It is a resource both for teachers already teaching the work of…

Based on the philosophy that a high school graduate is a young person who has become a fluent communicator and reflective thinker whose knowledge and skills meet the high standards necessary to interact in a rapidly changing world, this language arts curriculum is designed to foster the development of literacy abilities by providing experiences in…

Although an increasing number of young people encounter adversity in their environments, many manage to rebound and live successful lives while others repeat patterns of adversity in their adult lives. Classroom educators and special educators should therefore establish a learning environment that builds resilience in all learners. Educational…

This publication contains journal essays and book chapters (from publications of the National Council of Teachers of English) which address trends and issues in elementary language arts education. The following articles appear in the publication's first section, "Writing and a Move to New Literacies": (1) "Sacred Cows: Questioning…

Describes one teacher's numerous approaches for expanding the vocabularies and fostering positive self-concepts and attitudes toward school among the three linguistically very different groups of children in her classroom. (TO)

A familiar, reasonable, and superficially successful lesson in report-writing is described (small groups of students edit each other's reports for re-writing), its effect on the student analyzed (demoralization, loss of confidence, defensiveness), and an alternative, positive lesson suggested, in which highlights are circled instead of errors. (AJ)

Reviewed in a following article by E. Hugh Rudorf, "Review of 'An Investigation of First-Grade Spelling Achievement' by R. L. Cramer, pp. 238-40. (SW)

Focus of the study was to assess linguistic competence as manifested by an ability to recognize ambiguity of three types: lexical, surface structural, and underlying structural. (Author)