The ideas collected in this twentieth edition of "Ideas Plus" come from two sources: ideas submitted at an Idea Exchange session at a National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention or Spring Conference, and contributions by readers of "Classroom Notes Plus" and "Ideas Plus." Some of the teaching practices described in this book are…

Developed for use in small groups, this unit is intended to help Key Stage 3 pupils in England who have attained Level 3 in English to improve their spelling further. The sequence of 18 sessions revisits and builds on objectives from the primary "Framework" in the way envisaged in the "Framework for Teaching English: Years 7, 8, and…

Developed for use in small groups, this unit of study is aimed at helping children in England who have reached Level 3 in English at Key Stage 2 but who may be making errors in spelling, particularly in the area of vowel choices. In this unit, pupils read realistic texts and investigate the spellings of words they find there. While spelling is the…

Adapted for whole class use, this unit is intended to help Key Stage 3 pupils in England who have attained Level 3 in English to improve their spelling further. The sequence of 21 sessions revisits and builds on objectives from the primary "Framework" in the way envisaged in the "Framework for Teaching English at Key Stage 3."…

A seemingly simple tale of schoolboys marooned on an island, the novel "Lord of the Flies" is an enigmatic and provocative piece of literature. This casebook probes the many layers of meaning in the novel, examining its literary, philosophical, historical, scientific, and religious significance. The casebook integrates analysis and…

This book provides the tools classroom teachers need to determine which children lack the phonological awareness skills needed to become successful readers as well as to pinpoint deficiencies and address various needs. The book's unique features include the following: a comprehensive assessment that measures children's phonological awareness…

Written to appeal to a general audience that wants to think more deeply about the nature of the media, their messages, and their effects on both individuals and society, this book serves as a broad introduction to the thinking that ties educators together in the common goal of educating a media literate generation. It is written from a critical…

This teaching guide is built around a method (called the "Caught'ya" method) of teaching grammar and mechanics with humor. The guide contains story ideas and three sets of 100 Caught'ya sentences, as well as a chapter which discusses specific ways to use the Caught'ya at home. Following an introduction, the guide is divided into the…

Teaching the basic public speaking course during the summer session requires the teacher to compress a semester's worth of activities into one month or 20 two-hour classroom sessions, requiring organizational skills to ensure that all relevant instructional activities are addressed. This paper outlines a plan of instruction specifically designed…

Containing adaptable activities and games, this book presents a supplemental language and reading curriculum that complements any prereading program. Preschool, kindergarten, and first-grade teachers can use these activities in any classroom--general, bilingual, inclusive, or special education. The curriculum accommodates individualized learning…

Noting that young children often need many experiences with a mathematical concept before they fully understand the concept, this annotated bibliography lists children's books for presenting mathematical concepts within a context and details activities that extend the text as a way to engage children in hands-on mathematical learning experiences.…

An update on current research and best practices in language learning, this brochure is intended for parents, business persons, teachers, school administrators, legislators, and others interested in elementary school programs and practices. It notes that important changes in the understanding of language learning have occurred due to extensive…

This document outlines a presentation on the use of music activities to develop reading and composition skills in young children. The outline describes how music contributes to language arts development and presents several classroom activities. Activities to develop reading through music involve creating new verses to songs, cumulative story…

Teaching about the Amistad case provides correlations to the National Standards for History, and Civics and Government. An overview of the events of 1839 is given in this lesson plan. Seven student activities include reading and using primary source documents, writing journal articles, viewing the movie "Amistad," and giving…

This guide offers beginning reading activities for kindergarten and first grade students for classroom or home use, based on the "Arthur" books and the Public Broadcasting System program. Incorporating both whole-language and phonetic techniques, the activities are organized into four general themes: (1) "All about Arthur"; (2)…