Accountability in education has been expanding for the past twenty years. As standards for curricular areas continued to develop, educational shareholders desired a way to measure student achievement contextualized by the established standards. Since 1964, policies expanded federal involvement with education, and with the No Child Left Behind Act…

This quantitative study analyzed data to find a valid and reliable assessment for progress monitoring also having predictive power of a student's future reading performance on a state-mandated standardized reading achievement evaluation. The Response to Intervention (RTI) model was implemented in the language arts classrooms of a rural middle…

This report summarizes analyses of whether results from Austin Independent School District's students' Spring 2008 state-mandated academic assessments are related to their results on a fitness assessment.

Discusses the question of whether verse should be translated into verse or prose. Prose is preferred since it is more flexible and can therefore remain more faithful to the original meaning. (Text is in Spanish.) (TL)

Several large-scale surveys of middle-grade elementary pupils revealed that of the language arts, only reading and spelling are liked and handwriting and language are intensely disliked. (JH)

The Model 3 communication skills lexicon consists of three lists of words developed by the Southwest Regional Laboratory (SWRL) for use in communication skills instruction in K-6. This report documents the procedures used for developing a technical lexicon for subject areas in kindergarten and the elementary grades. To develop a music lexicon,…

This study was designed to examine the readability levels of the fourth, fifth, and sixth grade textbooks of four of the most recent language arts textbook series. Readability scores were obtained for each textbook as a whole, for each chapter in each textbook, and for presentation of content and student exercises material within each textbook.…

Having screened preview films and tapes and teacher manuals for educational television series available for his students' viewing, the teacher can identify the kinds of reading skills typically emphasized in each, perhaps charting them for ready reference. Subsequently, the preparation the teacher gives students before they view the programs and…

Comments on the ability of fantasy to evoke images, the validity of fantasy, and influence of fantasy. (DD)

A primary/intermediate starter unit which explores circus life and history is presented. Activities range from constructing a circus time line beginning in ancient Rome to research on the treatment of animals by circuses. (MT)

This article contains ideas for turning a language arts center into an imaginary underwater playground. Activities involving poems, riddles, and word play are suggested, as are questions to investigate and art projects. (MT)

A family folklore unit gives pupils a rich language arts experience and helps them become sensitive to and accepting of differences in family situations. Suggestions for such a unit are made, and resources are listed. (MT)

A language arts unit on the shape "round" is described. Useful materials, references, and activities are suggested. (MT)

The article describes a structured approach to teaching sign language to severely disabled students through task analysis. The approach emphasizes four basic principles from developmental and behavioral theories: (1) environmental influence, (2) imitation, (3) reinforcement, (4) practice. A functional sign vocabulary of 250 words grouped according…