This article provides a pragmatic approach to the development of theme units in a secondary English program for verbally talented students. The article provides a rationale for theme-based teaching, describes the structure of a thematic unit, and provides guidance on teacher development of thematic units. A unit on "losses/gains" is presented as…

Discusses the ways that high school English-as-a-Second-Language teachers might ask students to translate into English their own original poetry written in their original languages. Questions the "English Only" rule often proscribed for such classes. Describes how one teacher succeeded in having students translate their own poems. (HB)

Discusses the role of decoding in the framework of reading research and current instructional issues. Emphasizes the importance of decoding as part of the reading and language arts curriculum. Provides instructional implications. Suggests that, although many children learn to read without difficulty using literature-based approaches, many children…

Provides an annotated bibliography of 10 ERIC documents and journal articles that focus on the interdisciplinary approach to elementary school social studies curriculum development and instruction. Specifically includes information on integrating language arts, art education, and global education in social studies. (CFR)

Suggests ways for teachers to support children's literacy development in the classroom's dramatic play center by providing literacy-related props, such as pencils and pads of paper, that people use in real situations. (BB)

Compares and contrasts the multiple voices of children engaging in "group work" in a third-grade and a fifth/sixth-grade class. Highlights developmental and contextual issues that may be important to teachers considering students' needs and interests in relation to language arts learning in groups. Presents a playlet constructed from students'…

Discusses the advantages of making the writing center part of the instructional media center in schools and provides some questions to consider in setting up a writing center. Offers three examples of popular writing assignments. (MG)

Five elementary teachers share their favorite books for storytelling, offering strategies to help children bring them to life. The article presents techniques for acquainting students with different stories and includes an annotated list of books recommended for expanding a storytelling library (myths, fairy tales, folktales, contemporary stories,…

A teacher at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf (District of Columbia) recounts how she learned to use the Whole Language approach to writing instruction, to encourage student writing and conduct teacher/student conferences, and to stimulate students' reading interests. (DB)

Recommends abandoning the term "at risk." Concludes from analyses of parent-child story readings in African-American homes that the primary reason the children were at risk for failure in school is that the contexts for literacy in these homes were different from the contexts in school, not that there was something wrong with the…

Substantial drops in Scholastic Aptitude Test scores coincide with an increasingly diverse group of students, including more minority group members, taking the exam. The gap between bright and average students' scores has also widened. The trend is seen as evidence that recommended educational reforms are not being adopted. (MSE)

Describes six projects conducted in a language arts classroom using a whole-language approach. Notes how students responded with eagerness, responsibility, and success. (SR)

Addresses issues of access to World Wide Web sites, mathematics and science content-resources available on the Web, and methods for integrating mathematics, science, and language arts instruction. (Author/ASK)

Uses examples from the author's experiences writing books for young adults to show the power of literature to see through someone else's eyes and feel through their skin. Offers suggestions for teachers for ways students can take part in the life of the language, shape it, and discover the vitality of the printed page. (SR)

Articulates, through a critical analysis of Atlantic Canada's latest secondary English language arts curriculum documents, the expansion of traditionally understood conceptions of literacy to include information, media, and visual literacies. Examines the specific nature and extent to which technology and computer-mediated curricula are used to…