Evidence from the language use of young children is used to question accepted notions of language development and instruction in the three papers in this compilation. The first paper, "Young Children Challenge the Belief That Language Needs to be Taught Sequentially," challenges the notion of sequential development in which oral language…

The booklet addresses a real need often expressed by teachers throughout Queensland for a concise yet comprehensive guide for those teaching in small schools (the paucity of material concerning small schools in the literature is rather surprising considering the very significant numbers of teachers and children who are or have had experience in…

The first of five volumes, this guide for kindergarten and first grade complements the Chicago Mastery Learning Reading Program or other reading programs, and provides an outline of skills in listening, speaking, and writing. The introductory section contains objectives, a description of the organization of the book, and a discussion of the…

This booklet provides a brief overview of the Connecticut ninth-grade proficiency test by listing the skills to be assessed on the test. Sample questions exemplifying each skill are also included. Areas assessed include: (1) basic writing skills in the language arts (mechanics of written expression, composing and organizing skills, and library…

A three-year project carried out by the Microcomputers and Reading Committee of the New Jersey Reading Association involved the collection, improvement, and distribution of free microcomputer software (public domain programs) designed to deal with reading and writing skills. Acknowledging that this free software is not without limitations (poor…

This report summarizes two case studies conducted in 1979-1980 in a combined fifth-sixth grade special class for talented and gifted pupils in a large Oregon school district and a sixth grade self-contained classroom in a small school district, both of which were using ThinkAbout, a series of 60 15-minute instructional television programs designed…

Developed by teachers to provide a district-wide description of English course content, this curriculum guide is intended for use as a basis for planning instructional activities in a number of areas. The guide consists of four main sections: (1) an introduction, which provides a statement of philosophy, a scope and sequence of skills within…

This instructional packet is one of 14 school environmental education programs developed for use in the classroom and at the Dahlem Environmental Education Center (DEEC) of the Jackson Community College (Michigan). Provided in the packet are pre-trip activities, field trip activities, and post-trip activities which focus on preparations for winter…

Two teachers challenge the rich versus poor metaphor which designates the school culture as superior to the home culture as they examine teachers' perceptions of how family literacy is represented in the elementary language arts curriculum.

This article reports on a research project in which a digitally based assessment model is being developed for the Pacesetter Program. This program, established by the College Board to prepare culturally diverse students for higher education, is built around a curriculum that reflects not only the world that these students come from but also the…

As this report explains, the Exemplary Center for Reading Instruction (ECRI) has developed a reading program that teaches 16 skills involved in reading, spelling, listening, thinking, and writing. Daily records are kept of each child's progress. This report shows how the ECRI program can be adapted for use with a basal text. It provides detailed,…

The six authors of this monograph draw from their experience in elementary education in proposing practical techniques for using literature to teach a variety of literacy skills to children. The following topics are developed individually: reading for learning about the nature of language, picture books for reading vocabulary, the trade book as an…

Creative dramatics is an art form which enables children under the guidance of an imaginative and responsive adult, to reinforce academic subjects, establish a positive self-image and develop the processes of concentration, analysis, evaluation, inference, and creativity. Designed to assist elementary teachers and administrators, this book does…

The articles in this document present ideas for teaching English and the language arts creatively. Topics include a letter writing project in which ninth graders wrote letters to celebrities; an English elective course designed to increase students' creativity; ways of using the newspaper to teach language skills; the value of games in teaching…

This packet is designed for use by persons conducting staff-development workshops on reading readiness and beginning reading. Organized according to an "interrelatedness concept of readiness," the materials cover six interdependent factors: physical, perceptual, cognitive, linguistic, psychological, and experimental/environmental. The…