The Coeur d'Alene (Idaho) school district's staff development program uses in-house expertise. Lead teachers mentor other elementary teachers in language arts while interns cover their classes. Teachers learn new teaching practices in their own classrooms, with their own students and materials, during the regular school day. A sidebar describes…

Presents brief annotations of 31 books (published in 1997) for children and young readers (of which libraries and schools might want multiple copies), grouped in the following categories: books with lessons for young writers; picture books packed with information; appreciating memoirs and biographies; for the poetry shelves; and books for the…

Describes how two teachers in a fourth-grade classroom adapted the idea of literature study to a format that nurtured first- and second-language learning for all their students. Shows how choice of reading materials and choice of language to discuss what was read provided opportunities for students to raise their levels of both fluency and…

Describes a set of three books on adapting instructional materials for use with special needs students. The books address: (1) an overview of curricular adaptations; (2) adaptation of reading and math materials for kindergarten through grade 5; and (3) adaptation of language arts, social studies, and science materials for grades 6 through 8. (DB)

Presents description of classroom interaction that typically takes place in Japanese first-language arts classes in elementary schools throughout Japan. Using excerpts from data describing storytelling reading classes observed, shows that customary interaction was not necessarily text-based, had relatively weak teacher control, and revealed a…

Examined preservice teachers' journeys toward becoming reflective professionals within the context of a reading/language-arts methods course and elementary field experience. Observations, journals, surveys, and interviews indicated that participants' behaviors were grouped into three categories: questioning as a way of learning, constructing a…

Describes ninth-grade English classes interviewing international students regarding their experiences and feelings about the journeys that brought them to the United States. Discusses how students from diverse cultures began to know one another, and how the gathering and the publication of these stories helped faculty, administration, and students…

Offers a brief overview of "Curtains Up On Reading," an outreach program of the Dallas Children's Theater that places literature-based drama at the center of the curriculum. Outlines the philosophy, history, and methodology of this unique interdisciplinary language and fine arts curriculum. Describes its application in a five-day model…

Discusses "textual intelligence": knowledge of how texts of all kinds work. Describes how the author uses grammar in his classroom to help students understand how to read and write better and how to think with greater clarity. Describes activities used before and after students read or write. Argues that grammar is a process that helps students…

The project-based software, "The Writing Trek," was created to give teachers the tools they need to promote literacy at all grade levels. Lessons include skill-building exercises, an onscreen reference library (writer's handbook, almanac, thesaurus, rhyming dictionary, and lexicon), and advice by leading writers. The design and development process…

Followed up six graduates from a teacher education program with an action research focus, following them through their first teaching year. Respondents felt action research was a process that helped them acquire skills, attitudes, and knowledge for teaching, especially in language arts. The study reveals lack of transference of skills learned…

Discusses the phenomenon of girls falling silent in the classroom and its detrimental effects on their learning. Observes 11 middle school girls in their reading classrooms and the "girls only" literature circles they participated in. Describes how they benefited from these "girls only" literature circles. Argues it is…

Introduces the Envirobox Project that involves six classes from diverse regions of the United States where each class sends a shoebox including environmental samples to others. Explains the planning and preparation procedures of the project. Uses an interdisciplinary approach in the project which incorporates language arts, mathematics, social…

Forms part of a themed issue describing "Parent-Kid-Teacher Investigators," a program in which parents, children, and teachers gather regularly to use language and literacy for action research projects. Looks at the way involvement in the program nourished relationships among diverse individuals. Describes social relationships built at the…

Forms part of a themed issue describing "Parent-Kid-Teacher Investigators," a program in which parents, children, and teachers gather regularly to use language and literacy for action research projects. Discusses ways in which schools and families are alike in building a supportive environment for learning. Illustrates conditions contributing to…