Literacy practices have changed over the past several years to incorporate modes of representation much broader than language alone, in which the textual is also related to the visual, the audio, the spatial, etc. This book focuses on research and instructional practices necessary for integrating an expanded view of literacy in the classroom that…

Investigating the origins of place names provides pupils with a wealth of language arts experiences in vocabularly, research, and writing. Activities based on place names are suggested. (MT)

Ways to perk up language arts instruction include skits, choral readings, and full-length plays. Ideas for putting a show together, from making the curtain to having a cast party, are covered. Two readings, a skit, and a play are appended. (MT)

The use of Captioned Entertainment Films' movie classics as language arts aids for deaf students is discussed in terms of thought organization, reading skills, and language and composition development. (CL)

Illustrates the variety of materials available in the ERIC system, from lesson plans and teaching guides to classroom games and descriptions of individualized activities, for planning language arts lessons. (DD)

A primary/intermediate starter unit which explores circus life and history is presented. Activities range from constructing a circus time line beginning in ancient Rome to research on the treatment of animals by circuses. (MT)

A language arts unit on the shape "round" is described. Useful materials, references, and activities are suggested. (MT)

Discusses why and how writing can be taught in the elementary school and suggests some materials that can support an elementary writing program. (HOD)

Presents ideas for getting elementary students to explore the meaning of cliches and idiomatic phrases. (SJL)

Hearing impaired students practice recognizing metaphors in an activity that features 38 short stories accompanied by an illustration and a metaphorical interpretation found in one of four sample sentences. (CL)

The article describes ways to tell fairy stories and nursery rhymes to increase deaf students' prereading skills. Teachers are advised to repeat lines and phrases, repeat lines visually, identify linguistic structures, find recurring themes, express a moral view, build cognitive skills, recognize linguistic rituals, and provide opportunities for…

Many questions are on the minds of middle school teachers, principals, and curriculum leaders as they respond to a growing pressure to produce better educated students. Some of the questions are the following: Which language arts curriculum will sustain the interest of middle grades students? How can educators be certain the curriculum meets state…

A kindergarten teacher of children with advanced language discusses her use of poetry activities to promote reading readiness, auditory discrimination, oral language, creative thinking, independent working, and a love for poetry. Creative activities begin with drawing picture interpretations and proceed to the students writing their own poems. (CL)

Suggests a method for teaching research and other media center skills by integrating them in the reading and language arts curriculum with the media specialist and classroom teacher team-planning relevant activities. Advantages and disadvantages of this approach are summarized. (MES)

Presented are several word and sentence puzzles, both simple and complex, for student use. All involve various-shaped grids made up of squares for letter or word fill-ins. (Author/SJL)