Describes how a group of third-grade teachers engaged in meaningful and useful curriculum development in the language arts, starting with a belief statement, and moving to program outcomes, integrated topics, specific objectives, and student exhibitions and portfolios. (SR)

Describes a high school English teacher's community outreach program and its "outsider in society" theme. The teacher matched reading assignments to appropriate community service ventures, ranging from puppet shows to public speaking engagements and work with Alzheimer's patients. Community interactions inspired students to polish and practice…

Describes a "literary gift exchange" in which students buy or make gifts for other students' favorite literary characters and explain to the class why the gifts are appropriate. Argues that the gift exchange is a good way to end the school year and review the literature studied. (RS)

Reviews four professional references and two books for instructional materials to help teachers use stories more effectively in the classroom. (MG)

Reviews professional references and instructional materials that focus on language arts instruction. (MM)

Describes and evaluates three software programs for elementary level language arts: (1) "The Princess and the Pea," which connects the fairy tale with the modern world; (2) "PreWrite, Level 1," which helps students identify and develop writing topics; and (3) "Dinosaur Days," a creative graphics and publishing program with speech capabilities. (MM)

Reviews student and newsstand magazines in order to explore their potential for integrating the English language arts. (MS)

Defines and discusses the concepts of empowerment and motivation, and clarifies the relationship between them. Shows how language arts teachers can take advantage of both in developing more effective classroom practices. Gives examples of motivationally sound practices from the domain of writing instruction that might also be construed as examples…

Reviews five sets of thematically related books with the intent of helping instructors make connections between children's literature and real living. Investigates five areas, all broadly speaking to the issue of "security": (1) unsettling experiences; (2) nature study; (3) overcoming evil; (4) exploring adolescent angst; (5) journeying for…

Presents nine short pieces written by teachers describing how they relate the visual arts to language learning in their classrooms. (SR)

Lists five key elements of cooperative learning. Shares some ideas on cooperative learning successfully used in the language arts classroom. (RS)

Discusses reasons for the high interest in educational standards. Notes that most of the standard-setting efforts fall into one of three groups. Concludes that educators need to sort through the rhetoric to determine whether standards are indeed powerful tools for guiding educational decisions or whether they are unnecessary provocations. (RS)

Describes "The Secret Codes of C.Y.P.H.E.R.: Operation Wildlife," a software program for language arts classrooms that joins natural science and communication/cryptography topics in a secret-agent interactive setting. (SR)

A folk arts curriculum in a Cicero (Illinois) high school addressed reading and language arts skills while promoting cross-cultural understanding. Techniques included sharing of cultural experiences, consultation with a folklorist in residence, and a folk arts festival. (SK)

Presents various ways to use quotations in the classroom to stimulate student thinking and introduce new curriculum topics. Suggests that students can construct posters or journals of their favorite quotations, or even create their own proverbial phrases and generalizations. (MDM)