Homework policies and guidelines are the topics outlined in this article. Homework policies should address the amount of homework and amount of school time available to do the homework. Guidelines for grading homework are also discussed. It is recommended that teachers should prepare a written description of homework practices for the principal.…

Offers techniques to make book reports a more meaningful experience for students. Suggests guidelines for book selections and for what the students should look for in their reading. Lists alternatives to traditional book reports that allow an evaluative approach to reading and provide an opportunity for creativity and critical thought. (DK)

This document presents the syllabus for Library Instruction at the University of Rhode Island. The course is designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of bibliographic instruction and concentrates in the following areas: the history, philosophy, and structure of library education; cognitive aspects of library instruction; forms of library…

Describes a teaching exercise in an undergraduate psychology course in which students read a book with unconventional perspectives on the field of study. Maintains that the activity develops critical reading and thinking skills by confronting students with controversial views. Identifies some of the books selected to fit the criteria of this…

An assignment centered on reading journal articles and writing abstracts is an effective way to improve student reading and writing skills in sedimentology and stratigraphy laboratories. Each student reads two articles and writes informative abstracts from the author's point of view. (PR)

Describes a high school biology assignment that had students read a self-selected book where the main character experiences nature and is changed by it. Evaluation was based on journal entries and a formal paper. Seventy percent of the students indicated they greatly enjoyed the assignment. (PR)

Presents a four-day lesson plan for secondary U.S. literature or Bible-and-literature classes, using the Garden of Eden story and Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Rappaccini's Daughter." Identifies objectives, materials, procedure, and evaluation measures. Develops students' ability to discover analogies and irony in literary texts. Lists teacher…

An expense account book report encourages students to be creative and doesn't penalize students with reading and writing disabilities. Pie graphs showing expenditures a character from a book might make reveal divergent thinking skills and with a minimum of words. A reproducible worksheet is included. (MT)

Developed by national reading experts for "reading partners" to use with children, ages birth to grade 6, this Spanish-language booklet presents activities that help very young children to get ready for reading and writing, and guide older children to expand their reading and writing interests and skills. The booklet has three sections,…

Presents a five-day study unit that provides positive and negative views of Columbus' voyages. Explains that lessons include reading and writing assignments culminating in a debate of the implications of the Columbian legacy. Offers questions designed to prompt students to defend their views on Columbus. Identifies instructional objectives and…

Assignment sheets that structure reading activities can be helpful in reading instruction for gifted children. The guides include activity suggestions before the reading (mostly vocabulary), during the reading (questions at the literal and inferential level), and after the reading (questions focusing on analysis, synthesis, and other higher mental…

A Dutch teacher presents reading, film viewing, and writing activities for "Empire of the Sun," J. G. Ballard's autobiographical account of life as a boy in Shanghai and in a Japanese internment camp during World War II (the subject of Steven Spielberg's film of the same name). Includes objectives, procedures, and several literature,…

For textbook reading assignments to be effective, teachers must develop well-defined procedures for making the assignments clear and relevant to the students and their experiences. Guidelines are offered. (Author/WD)

This 1989 activity calendar, developed to commemorate the "Year of the Young Reader," is divided into three sections. The first contains a calendar that lists authors' birthdays, special commemorations, anniversaries, and events. The second includes descriptions of book-related activities that complement monthly themes, weekly themes, or…

Describes "two-point system: which rewards students for having read assigned material before class, but does not penalize those who have not. At the beginning of class, students critique in writing the reading assignment. For each successful critique they receive two points on their next exam. (KC)