This concept paper is intended to assist educators to understand why American culture has become so diverse, to review certain guiding principles and related research in effective educational practices for language instruction, and to present a number of instructional implications derived from the research. The recommendations for teachers which…

The articles in this focused issue draw attention to works of contemporary literature with classroom potential. Four articles suggest new approaches for the reading and teaching of such established writers as Robert Frost; Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.; Eudora Welty; and Saul Bellow. Two other articles examine the bestsellers "Ordinary People" and "The Color…

Basic skills versus free reading for comprehension, classics versus contemporary novels, and ethnic literature versus a common core of literary culture are among the hotly debated arguments in teaching today. Even among educators and specialists in the field, there is no agreement. However, the National Council of Teachers of English Commission on…

Noting that while high school students have received instruction in reading and writing, few have received any instruction in speaking and listening skills, this document advocates a greater recognition of the need for a more realistic balance of instruction in the four communication areas than has traditionally been the case. Sections of the…

This condensation of an original report of the same title describes an analysis and comparison of writing performances of students in two studies: grade 8 students in the 1977 Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) Intermediate Evaluation Project and grade 12 and 13 students in the Interface Study, 1976. The chapters give the purposes…

This journal contains the following articles pertaining to English instruction in rural schools: (1) "Different, To Be Sure" (Nathan James Weate) compares rural and urban students and finds rural students to have strong family cohesiveness, strong moral values, and diversified interests; (2) "An Elevating Experience" (Dorothy Trusock) describes a…

The 5-14 Development Programme was a major reform encompassing the whole of the curriculum, assessment, national testing and reporting for students aged 5 to 14 years in Scotland. Between 1989 and 1993 national guidelines were developed for five curricular areas--English language, mathematics, environmental studies, expressive arts, and…

This issue of "Insights into Open Education" presents three short articles dealing with teaching poetry, English instruction, and the concept of time. The first article, "Teaching Poetry Tips" (Gem Reid), discusses the author's experiences conducting a week-long poetry workshop for a class of 30 second graders. The second…

A study developed criteria for judging state standards for the English language arts and reading and analyzed the 28 current standards documents. The criteria used for judging the standards relate to the purpose, audience, expectations, and assumptions of the standards documents; the organization of the standards; disciplinary coverage of the…

Reflecting some of the emerging issues sustaining debate in secondary school literature instruction and writing instruction, this newsletter presents articles that discuss the impact of E. D. Hirsch's book "Cultural Literacy,""authentic discourse," and collaborative classroom research. Articles in the newsletter are:…

The articles in this journal issue explore inventive ways of teaching literature, including the use of works written by Wisconsin residents. The titles of the articles and their authors are as follows: (1) "From Wau-Bun to Door Way" (Richard Boudreau); (2) "The Reading Tree" (Richard Behm); (3) "Manipulating Language: A…

Intended for elementary and secondary school English teachers, this thematic journal issue offers practical suggestions and strategies to help educators improve their professional image, both in the classroom and in the larger sphere of the community. The titles and authors of the eight articles are as follows: (1) "Raising Your…

Articles in this journal issue focus on computer applications for the English classroom. Following an introduction (Ken Davis), the seven articles discuss the following topics: (1) the computer as an administrative, instructional, and research aide for English teachers (Brian D. Monahan); (2) computer technology and the writing teacher (Sandra J.…

Research in the fields of education, linguistics, psychology, sociology, philosophy, politics, anthropology, rhetoric, and computer science has yielded a large body of knowledge about how language is produced and used in different types of communication, how language systems affect conceptual frameworks, and how language competence contributes to…

Various aspects of teaching English in a nuclear age is the focus of the 13 articles in this journal. Titles of the articles are as follows: (1) "The Future? Educating about the Nuclear Arms Race"; (2) "Nuclear Arms in a University English Class"; (3) "Prospectus for a Course on War, Peace, and Apocalypse in Western Thought and Literature"; (4)…