Focusing on how teachers can integrate computers into reading/writing instruction, this ERIC digest presents guidelines for helping language arts teachers match their use of computers with what is known about the reading/writing process. The guidelines for computers and reading presented in the digest point out that computer instruction in reading…

This Digest discusses approaches to group learning in the language classroom, presenting some principles that are common to any group learning approach, whether it be cooperative learning, student team learning, group investigation, or collaborative learning. The Digest also discusses the Collaborative Learning Model (Reid et al., 1989) which…

This book is part of a series of books presenting ready-to-use instructional units on themes typically taught in the primary grades. The topics focus on science, math, social studies or literature, but use language arts skills consistently in each unit. Each book in the series also uses as many frames of mind or intelligences as possible. Within a…

The controversial field of semiotics has been criticized for its "unwillingness to respect boundaries" and its "conviction that everything is a sign." The central concerns of this wide-ranging field, however, can be defined, and its implications for teaching can be outlined. Semiotics is the study of signs (symbols, icons, and…

To serve the function of assessment, the language arts portfolio should be a record of a student's literacy development--a kind of window on the skills and strategies the student uses in reading and writing. Portfolio collections can form the foundation for teacher-student conferences, a vital component of portfolio assessment. The use of…

Developed by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Committee to Evaluate Curriculum Guides and Competency Requirements, this guide is intended to help teachers and administrators to develop exemplary English language arts curricula. The first part of the booklet presents an annotated list of recommended curriculum guides, representing…

Developed by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), Committee to Evaluate Curriculum Guides and Competency Requirements, this guide is intended to help teachers and administrators develop exemplary English language arts curricula. The first part of the booklet presents an annotated list of recommended curriculum guides representing a…

Intended for teachers, this monograph encourages educators to think critically both about critical reading and about what constitutes instruction of critical thinking in schools. The book contains the following chapters: (1) "Crisis in Confidence: The Need for Learner-Centered Schools"; (2) "A Mechanistic World View: Knowledge as…

This digest describes the development of cultural journalism and its place in the contemporary curriculum. In the field of cultural journalism, the traditional skills and values of many different groups are chronicled, defined, for example, by ethnic origin, origin, occupation, or environment. The term "cultural journalism" was first…

Reviews materials from the ERIC system and other sources on providing natural learning situations in which reading, writing, speaking, and listening can be developed together for real purposes and real audiences in the self-contained elementary classroom. (HTH)

Presents a case for incorporating humanities instruction into the study of literature and suggests activities by which teachers can go beyond literary devices in individual works to encompass the humanistic components of the cultures that produced them. (EL)

Civic writing is an intellectual skill that is needed for effective and responsible participation in civil society and government. This Digest examines the concept of civic writing, identifies its purposes in democratic citizenship, and discusses how to teach it. Civic writing includes formal legal writing (speeches, petitions, resolutions),…

Developed by the National Council of Teachers of English Committee to Evaluate Curriculum Guidelines and Competency Requirements, this guide is intended to help teachers and administrators develop exemplary English language arts curricula. The first half of the booklet presents an annotated list of committee-recommended curriculum guides,…

Intended for teachers in communications and the language arts who are contemplating alternatives to teaching, this booklet provides a basic approach to communication consulting with fundamental definitions and practical guides to basic consulting principles. The first section of the booklet briefly discusses approaches to consulting and sources of…

Bringing together peer teaching and collaborative learning, this book presents many specific ideas for elementary teachers to use in their classrooms and explains the principles behind the practices. Six diverse scenarios are presented which represent real experiences of teachers and their students at work in successful peer-learning classrooms.…