The central aspect of Connecticut's agenda for educational equity and excellence is the implementation of statewide mastery testing in mathematics and language arts. The program, designed for grades four, six, and eight, assesses the skill levels of students by measuring their performance on learning objectives they should have mastered in lower…

The article examines ways to differentiate the material used in a reading program for gifted students (birth to age 9). Suggested books are provided for the following categories that correspond to recognized characteristics of gifted children: vocabulary (quality retellings of folk tales, word play, poetry, satire, and nuances of language);…

Designed for workshop, teacher inservice, and classroom use, this monograph pulls together theory, research findings, and descriptions of successful classroom practices to improve instruction in listening skills. Chapter 1 discusses the importance of listening instruction, providing general background information on the nature of listening. The…

Concerned primarily with interactive radio for instruction, this issue highlights radio projects in developing countries that have proven to be a successful tool for educational development. These include: (1) an experimental project designed to investigate the feasibility of using radio as a medium of instruction in the teaching of elementary…

Current approaches in developing and applying computer assisted instruction in language arts are described in this paper, which presents diverse positions along a continuum of perspectives and draws contrasts between a reductionist or subskill approach and a whole language emphasis. The paper discusses three predominant computer applications in…

We present a fundamentally new coding procedure and a two-dimensional Curriculum Tool that reclassifies culturally diverse storybooks for the purpose of teaching cultural understanding. The reclassification results in 9 "cultural voices"--the joining of a book theme and its complexity of cultural content--used as the basis of various…

In Illinois, 27 elementary schools have bought a typing program with ESEA Title I funds. The idea of the typewriter as a writing tool that relates to improvement in language arts is well-received and successful; the author describes Chicago's program to guide other districts in curriculum improvements. (Author/AJ)

Beginning first grade readers were able to successfully transfer from a structured programed approach to an individualized approach to reading. (JH)

Elementary language arts programs demand a balanced use of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. (JH)

Using folklore as educational material helps students to understand and appreciate their society and themselves, while developing their reading interests. This paper suggests ways in which folklore can be used in independent teaching units, as supportive material for motivation, and as recreational material in reading/language arts classes. The…

The purpose of this paper is to indicate the value of music as a motivational aid in teaching certain aspects of language arts. The first section reviews articles and books that deal with the integration of music and language arts activities, describes several possible classroom activities and types of instructional materials, examines research…

Pantomime can be used in language arts classes as a learning activity in which students observe and organize movements in a logical sequence, transforming abstract concepts into vivid images. This paper suggests three ways that teachers can use pantomime in the classroom: portraying character types, such as golfer, archer, or juggler; becoming…

Seven language arts booklets present samples of student writing, teaching suggestions and resources for an enrichment program for gifted elementary students. Focused on in each of the booklets are the following topics (sample subtopics in parentheses): introductory activities (word and sentence expansion, imagery, and patterns in poetry); short…

This study hypothesized that teachers would hold natural expectancies--positive or negative--for students' performance from having previously taught students' older siblings in the same class, depending upon older siblings' performance levels. These students would then differ from no-expectancy controls on specific classroom behaviors and…