Optimal classroom read-aloud sessions result from teachers' planning and practice. Important considerations include choosing the right book, prereading, reading dramatically, and choosing authors who have written several books. Books that are sure to go over well include those that let the students get involved, stories that start discussions, and…

Examines the relationship between an elementary language arts teacher's beliefs about and her students' conceptions of good writing. Interviews 15 fourth graders and their teacher. Indicates that the teacher's beliefs about writing have considerable impact on the pupils' perceptions of writing. Calls for sustained efforts in this new area of…

Presents reminiscences of a former editor of "English Education," discussing English teacher education during the 1970s and some of the difficult transitional moments during that era. Discusses methods courses, changes in the curriculum, and outside critics of English education. (TB)

Offers brief annotations of 30 children's books from every genre, published in 1995, and selected as outstanding for their enhancement of language awareness among students in grade K-8. (SR)

Describes the "I Wonder" project, which uses student questions to teach and enhance the science curriculum. Students kept journals to reflect upon classroom activities and document solutions to science and mathematics problems, and came up with the topics they wanted to investigate in the form of a question beginning with "I wonder". Includes…

Describes why and what happened when a teacher changed from viewing English teaching as a value-neutral act to teaching what matters to her. Relates what she expects from the reading and writing workshop and how raising her own voice in terms of her passions and what she values has strengthened students' voices. (SR)

Describes two approaches to connecting literature and problem solving with mathematics. One approach is to focus on a particular strategy of problem solving, then find a storybook related to the strategy. Another approach is to find a favorite children's book and develop the problem-solving portion of the lesson from the book. A resource list and…

Focuses on the artist, Laquita Thomson, whose inspiration are the stars and space. Discusses her series called, "Celestial Happenings: Stars Fell on Alabama." Describes one event that inspired an art work when a meteor crashed into an Alabama home. Includes lessons for various subject areas. (CMK)

Provides background information on the career of Fred Webster in folk art, focusing on his use of religious stories in his work. Includes activities in subject areas such as language arts, history or religious studies, book arts, social studies, and natural science. (CMK)

A study involving 62 students in two inclusive ninth-grade language arts classes examined the impact of anchored instruction. Results found that as teachers increased the level and length of their questions, students reciprocated by providing higher level and longer responses to questions and asked longer and higher level questions. (Contains…

Discusses the California History/Social Science Standards that organize historical and social science skills into three different categories: (1) chronological thinking; (2) research, evidence, and point of view; and (3) historical interpretation. Addresses the year-long planning guide and includes two worksheets, one for year-long planning and…

A language arts teacher, grades 6-8, reflects on her experiences implementing the Foxfire approach in a small tribal school and focuses on the successes of one American Indian student--development of interview skills and improvement of her standardized test scores. (SV)

An English teacher in a rural junior high school reflects on her experiences using the Foxfire approach; describes student projects and problems related to lack of support, overwork, and scarce materials; and discusses the Foxfire approach's value in encouraging students to explore their own inner resources and discover themselves. (SV)

Highlights 14 ERIC documents dating from 1987 to 1989 that are resources for using computers in the language arts classroom. Presents annotations for each document. (MG)

Identifies the problem of geographic literacy. Suggests the integration of geography instruction with other subject areas of the curriculum. Provides an annotated bibliography of fictional children's literature that can be utilized to teach geographic concepts. Presents methods of integration and classroom activities on geography. (RW)