Representing Australia, Canada, England, the United States, and Wales, this collection of essays focuses on ways in which teachers can adapt classroom activities and modify writing assignments to encourage personal response and exploration of texts. Essays, their authors, and nationalities are as follows: (1) "The River and Its Banks:…

To develop an appreciation and understanding of poetry in young children (K-3), grade school teachers should consider choosing poems that appeal to children and implement an enthusiastic instructional poetry program that can make a positive impact on the students. Recent comprehensive studies of young children's concepts and attitudes about poetry…

This guidebook contains materials from "NOTES Plus," the National Council of Teachers of English's (NCTE's) journal for the exchange of ideas by teachers and other English professionals. The suggestions presented here are meant for use by substitute teachers. The activities are divided into five categories: "Thinking and Writing with…

The teaching activities presented in this issue are intended to enhance literature instruction for students in grades 5-9. The activities include those specifically designed for use with "The Diary of Anne Frank,""Johnny Tremain,""The Contender,""No Promises in the Wind," and "Farenheit 451." The journal also contains general activities centered…

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) must take steps to ensure that proposals for reform in literacy education are based on the best research, theory, and practice of teaching as well as on the perceived needs of the public and press. NCTE members can take steps to advise legislators and school board members of some of the…

Learning stations were planned that combined the teaching of English skills with History content.

Urges English teachers to adopt an approach to career education based on individual actualization; suggests several activities to accomplish this. (DD)

Describes a business writing course outline, and suggests using student writing to teach students to write clearly and effectively in a business writing course. (MKM)

Notes how important it is that any critical writing assignments should take into account the individual reading, and that the teacher's role is to steer discussion that stems from a class of individual readings. Explores some of the aspects of Jane Austen's novel "Emma" to which students readily respond. (HTH)

Presents a high school student's story about fishing, analyzes the story, and provides study guide questions for students intended to amplify the reading. Invites "English Journal" readers to use this story and study guide in their own classrooms. (JG)

Proposes a study of "Citizen Kane" in high school using a somewhat simplified version of post-modern literary critical theory. Chooses this film because of its familiarity and accessibility and because the ambiguity and indeterminacy of its text allow room for exploration by students. (NKA)

Offers an explanation of metaphor comprehension and the processes of comparison it entails. Describes a strategy that focuses on the processes of comparison, intended for regular students in junior high school or gifted middle school students. Presents segments of an actual lesson illustrating the strategy. (JK)

Explains how to teach F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" in three stages: before, during, and after a close look at the text and outlines the novel's narrative structure. (HOD)

Recounts how a videotape production of "The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby," along with study guides, lectures, and discussions, can be used with students enrolled in literature, theatre, or television courses at any level from high school through graduate school. (EL)

Suggests having students write short summaries using the principles of the journalistic news "lead" to help them sharpen their abstraction skills. Includes samples of data blocks from which students would compose their summaries, kernel sentences from the samples, "kernel" kernel sentences, first draft summaries, and 30-word…