The effects of "bona fide" homogeneous grouping of students in grades 4 through 8 in a southeastern school system on the students' subsequent academic achievement were studied. These effects were studied for black students as well as for all students regardless of race, across 2 years. The student population was composed of over 4,800…

Developed as part of the Arkansas Minimum Performance Testing Program (MPT), these item specifications relate to the eighth grade language arts minimum performance test. There is one item specification for each instructional objective included in the MPT. Item specifications are intended to provide an overview of the general content and format of…

Designed and programmed by the staff of the Courseware and Curriculum Applications (CCA) Group (a unit of the Computer-Based Education Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), this instructor's guide describes a computer-based language arts curriculum intended to move adult and adolescent students performing at the…

The writing assessment used in grade 10 of the Cherry Creek, (Colorado) schools is described. Over the past 3 years, the focus of the assessment has changed from an assessment heavily weighted on multiple-choice items, with minimal constructed response tasks, to an assessment based entirely on a written product. Students are provided with multiple…

At-risk children's acquisition of reading skills can be accelerated if they are provided with more and better instruction than is given their peers who seem to acquire reading rather easily. One aspect of better instruction is a coherent curriculum plan that provides learners with sets of activities that link together and foster learning. Children…

Materials containing hazardous substances present serious problems to human health and to the health of the environment. There are many potential problems related to the site of a house or apartment, the construction materials used in the house or the apartment, products and materials used in and around the home, and disposal of materials.…

Prepared by teachers for teachers, this practical classroom guide offers a process of monitoring language development and planning for development within a whole language framework, supported by a compendium of appropriate practice to be drawn on when needed. The guide (1) emphasizes the interdependence of reading, writing, talking, and listening;…

Twenty-two fifth grade students participated in a 3-week study to compare the learning transfer of historical fiction concepts of fifth-grade students receiving instruction in two different curricula. The two different modes of instruction were the basis for determining if there was a significant difference in the mean scores of the control and…

This booklet, based on the classroom work and experiences of 12 teachers in Australia, analyzes text retelling as a language developing process and illustrates effective procedures and activities successfully used in the classroom. The booklet contains eight sections: (1) What is Retelling?; (2) Retelling and Language Learning; (3) Using Retelling…

Based on eight months of observation in Japanese classrooms, this book describes a Japanese technique of writing instruction, called "seikatsu tsuzurikata" (life experience composition), and shows how it can be successfully incorporated into American classrooms. A foreword by Kenneth S. Goodman focuses on the technique's importance both…

The guide is intended to help teachers of mildly handicapped (learning disabled, behavior disordered, and mildly retarded) students develop and modify language arts activities keyed to specific learning needs. A preliminary chapter discusses principles of teaching for mastery and generalization including sequential modification, identifying and…

Emphasizing language as a means of communication and as a learning tool, this guide to curriculum planning presents a conceptual framework for a kindergarten through grade twelve language arts program emphasizing the integration of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and media use. The content and skills sections in the guide include a…

Intended for administrators and policymakers as well as teachers, this digest explores issues related to teaching English to the gifted student. The digest begins by examining the criteria used for identifying gifted/talented students, noting that some successful programs for the gifted in English and language arts do not restrict admission…

This 10-lesson unit blends social studies skills, concepts, and attitudes with language arts, art, and interpersonal relations in a 2-week study of cultures. Using a global perspective, students learn about four geographic regions of the earth (polar, temperate, tropical, desert), adaptation and change in the environment, different aspects of…

This volume of measurement instruments in the English language arts is the second one produced by the Research Instruments Project (TRIP), which was designed to collect and evaluate research instruments in language arts, language and language development, literacy, literature, oral language, reading, teacher knowledge/attitudes, and writing. The…