To compete and succeed in modern society, high school graduates need to be expert readers, writers, and communicators. Too many are not. Annually, hundreds of thousands of 12th graders on the threshold of graduating can barely read or write. Given the high stakes for these students and knowing a great deal about their literacy needs and the…

This book gives the reader ideas for providing primary-grade students with literacy learning opportunities that integrate conventional literacies, such as phonics and comprehension, with new literacies, such as multimedia composition and hyperlink navigation. The reader will find a variety of linked activities, including reading children's books,…

This packet describes the Building Bridges Program at Illinois State University, which integrates the secondary preservice teacher education curriculum across English, history/social science, technology and business education. The goal of the program is to prepare preservice secondary teachers with experiences that promote their understanding of…

This book is intended for middle and high school teachers who are committed to the process-writing model and are eager to encourage their students in the last step of the process--publication. The book offers specific writing ideas and classroom activities that help students develop the confidence and ability to publish in a wide market, and it…

Those who teach in the field of English and the language arts have seen their subject and their teaching enter the discourse of politics and become the topoi for popular discussions about the crisis in public education--they find themselves caught in a rising tide of public opinion against what they stand for intellectually and professionally.…

The Water in Africa Project was realized over a 2-year period by a team of Peace Corps volunteers. As part of an expanded, detailed design, resources were collected from over 90 volunteers serving in African countries, photos and stories were prepared, and standards-based learning units were created for K-12 students. This unit, "Water…

This report presents preliminary results from four sets of tests that are part of the North Carolina state testing program. The Grade 3 Pretest is a multiple choice reading and mathematics test administered to students at the beginning of third grade. This pretest was administered to more than 102,000 students in the 1999-2000 school year, and…

This paper provides an overview of the Exemplary Center for Reading Instruction (ECRI), a research-based instructional program designed to improve students' ability to read, understand, and communicate in English. The program focuses on pre- and inservice professional development for teachers who are trained in a highly structured,…

This study guide discusses the world premiere of two made-for-television movies of classics of English literature: "The Hound of the Baskervilles" and "Hamlet." The guide first provides a synopsis of the story of "The Hound of the Baskervilles" and gives a brief biography of the author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It…

"Same Difference," the television program featured in this videotape and teaching guide, tells the story of a friendship that blossoms into love between Shelley and Vinnie, a young couple with different ethnic and religious backgrounds, Jewish and Italian Catholic. Despite family opposition and personal difficulties, the spirit of…

This guide to Indiana's academic standards in language arts, mathematics, science, and the social studies for Grade 1 students begins with a note to students and another note to parents. The guide spells out what students should know and be able to do in each subject, at each grade level. The guide also lists 10 things parents can do to help…

This guide to Indiana's academic standards in language arts, mathematics, science, and the social studies for Grade 2 students begins with a note to students and another note to parents. The guide spells out what students should know and be able to do in each subject, at each grade level. The guide also lists 10 things parents can do to help…

This guide to Indiana's academic standards in English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and the Social Studies for Grade 3 students begins with a note to students and another note to parents. The guide spells out what students should know and be able to do in each subject, at each grade level. The guide also lists 10 things parents can do to…

This guide to Indiana's academic standards in Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and the Social Studies for Grade 4 students begins with a note to students and another note to parents. The guide spells out what student should know and be able to do in each subject, at each grade level. The guide also lists 10 things parents can do to help…

This guide to Indiana's academic standards in English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and the Social Studies for Grade 5 students begins with a note to students and another note to parents. The guide spells out what students should know and be able to do in each subject, at each grade level. The guide also lists 10 things parents can do to…