As part of the "National 'What Works' Evaluation for Adult ESL Students," a meeting of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) literacy experts and stakeholders was convened (May 10, 1996) to examine what theory and practice have to say about how ESL students acquire literacy skills, prevalent instructional approaches and methods, assessment issues to…

This publication explains how to teach students to produce well written and analytic work, offering essays, lesson plans, and a collection of student writing, all rooted in a focus on language arts teaching for social justice. The eight chapters look at: (1) "Building Community out of Chaos" (e.g., inviting students' lives into the…

The goal of this lesson plan is for second-grade students to understand the steps in how food is made and delivered to the grocery store. Students create a play where each person plays a part in the production and distribution of food. The lesson suggests that the class perform the play on parents' night. It provides five activities for students…

This brochure, written in Spanish, discusses strategies that Spanish-speaking parents can use to support the interests of their children and how to recognize and extend their children's talents. Parents are urged to: (1) be aware of what their child likes to do and be patient with the changing patterns as the child explores areas of interests and…

This guide, in English- and Spanish-language versions, shares with parents information about the South Carolina Curriculum Standards. The standards outline state requirements for children's learning and what students across the state should be able to do in certain subjects. The guide lists seven key reasons parents should be aware of the new…

This CD-ROM presents six videos that feature veteran middle and high school teachers in action in their classrooms. Each video offers links to supplemental education resources, including innovative lesson plans. The six videos are: "Monsters and Myths" (a humanities unit for middle school students); "The Bleeding Edge" (a thematic…

Adult education standards are the cornerstone for quality teaching, quality learning, and quality lives. The Arizona Adult Education Standards Initiative (Standards Initiative) represents a proactive effort by Arizona's adult education community to ensure rigor and consistency in program content and student outcomes for adult learners throughout…

Annually in May and June, grade 3, 6, and 9 students in Alberta (Canada) take provincial achievement tests. This guide, in both English and French versions, explains the achievement tests. The tests are designed to indicate how well students meet the province's standards, to support teachers in planning instruction, and to inform the public about…

Intended for instructors of English as a Second Language (ESL), adult basic education, and workplace literacy, this manual focuses on three questions: What is authentic assessment? What are the steps in planning authentic assessment? How is the learner involved? Section 1 discusses some components of authentic assessment. In doing so, it addresses…

The 40 activities contained in this book were designed to persuade students to think both critically and creatively. The activities call for the use of all 18 of E. Paul Torrance's creative thinking abilities. The theoretical underpinnings for this collection are based upon philosophical and pedagogical beliefs that experiences be positive: if…

This paper highlights features of an interactive, bilingual CD-ROM currently under development that is designed to be used for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) decision making with professionals and families of children with disabilities. The CD-ROM is scheduled for release in the spring of 1998 and will: (1) provide information…

The purpose of this study was to compare children's acquisition and use of reading strategies and their evolving stance toward reading in two instructional settings, skills-based and whole language. The authors used test-score and descriptive data to select case study children who represented a range of reading development, e.g., from emergent…

A study examined the effects of prior knowledge on the reading comprehension of disadvantaged first-grade students from an inner-city school in northern Utah. A thematic approach using trade books, field experiences, Language Experience Activities, and student journals was used to increase background knowledge of the at-risk first graders who were…

Focusing on multiple ways in which learners gain access to knowledge and skills, this handbook explores the possibilities of broadening current conceptualizations of literacy to include the full array of the communicative arts (reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing). The handbook pays particular attention to the visual arts of drama,…

Based on the idea that parents are their children's first and most important teachers, this book gives practical suggestions for how parents can best nurture the qualities of initiative, thoughtfulness, curiosity, resourcefulness, perseverance, and imagination that are fundamental to all that children will do and become in their lives. Drawing…