Organized in three sections, this report presents the first case study from a project aimed at developing prototypes of ideal textbook chapters. The report (1) discusses the Ideal Text Project, in which a number of researchers in instructional science have been challenged to design a textbook chapter that incorporates the design features they…

Concludes that both able and less able eighth grade readers who read text versions in which key concepts and the relations between them had been explained thoroughly learned significantly more word meanings than did students who read any of the other versions. (FL)

The article presents cross-cultural comparisons of movement purposes and objectives of the Purpose Process Curriculum Framework as viewed by teacher educators in England, Japan, and the United States. Although respondents from each country rated purposes differently, all respondents considered circulo-respiratory efficiency and joy of movement to…

Criticizes views of literacy represented by Hirsch, Farrell, and others for assuming (1) the priority of alphabetic literacy over the social uses of orthographies; (2) a stable external world; (3) that literacy can be taught by skills instruction; and (4) that teachers are the centers of authority. Argues with reference to theoretical linguistics,…

Discusses the use of psychoanalytic techniques to probe written works for their inherent biases of interpretation. Uses the authors' experience of teaching basic writers to analyze Freud's "Dora: An Analysis of a Case of Hysteria," in order to expose Freud's biases in interpreting Dora's experiences. (JC)

Suggestions for narrowing the discrepancy between the knowledge base of early communication development and the implementation of effective communication interventions for severely handicapped infants and young children are offered including strategies for facilitating emerging language development, increasing positive interactions with infants,…

Addresses the relevance of cognitive research in memory processes and auditory information processing for the resolution of policy issues concerning the regulation of popular music. Offers several assumptions regarding music listening, and suggests appropriate research methods for resolving questions surrounding music listening and regulation.…

The eight-phase process Ohio uses to address major educational policy questions is briefly described, and its strengths and weaknesses noted. General comments are made about state-level education policymaking. (JL)

Discusses pedagogical implications of recent theory and research on response to literature. Contends that now teachers must be aware of readers, the text, and the context in which a text is read and discussed. (MS)

Suggests that children, even in early elementary grades, can grasp basic elements of children's literature using a spiralled sequence story curriculum, which helps them examine types of character, such as the trickster; elements of plot, such as the journey; and generally see patterns in the stories they read. (JC)

Demonstrates the applicability of the speech act theory, which can help foreign language students appreciate the refinements of their target language's rhetorical devices through increased understanding of cultural and literary experiences. (CB)

Introduces three essays--in the second of two issues of College English devoted to psychoanalysis and literature--on psychoanalytic theory, literature, and the roles of teachers in helping students situate themselves in relation to knowledge and in breaking through students' resistance as they read. (JC)

Compares psychoanalytic, systems, and social learning theories to determine the empirical support for each theoretical orientation in treating problematic conflict between parents and adolescents. Discusses parent-adolescent conflict, including developmental stage theory, parenting styles, peer pressures, communication skills, marital conflict,…

Discusses five practical and necessary features of language learning theory: audio-oral phenomenon, linking creativity and control, temporary separation of language components, contrastive analysis, and language learning via instruction. Major language theories and technologies in light of their theoretical justifications versus their realistic…

Investigates the evaluation processes used in preschools, focusing on such issues as the extent to which (1) teachers use standards to support their evaluations; (2) whether standards teachers use are congruent with those that research and theory suggest would be used by preschool children; and (3) the extent to which teachers make causal…