"Teaching for Joy and Justice" is the much-anticipated sequel to Linda Christensen's bestselling, "Reading, Writing, and Rising Up." Christensen is recognized as one of the country's finest teachers. Her latest book shows why. Through story upon story, Christensen demonstrates how she draws on students' lives and the world to teach poetry, essay,…

Discusses the Gullah language, an English-based Creole language that contains words from approximately 21 African languages. Discusses historical background and educational implications. Concludes that in communicating with Gullah speaking children, a teacher has to be flexible, understanding, and willing to learn the student's native language.…

This book relates the story of the 1974 Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) resolution on Students' Right to Their Own Language (SRTOL), and sets this up against the story of how Composition Studies developed as a professional field and sets both against the larger history of 1960s movements, the liberal welfare state, and…

Rather than dismiss teaching English usage or embrace it without question, elementary teachers need to make usage instruction meaningful and motivating and present it in a nonthreatening yet systematic manner. The teacher must become familiar with his/her particular language community by listening to students and noting the forms they are using.…

The paper presents guidelines for presenting a workshop on Ebonics (Black English) to regular and special education teachers. The author maintains that Ebonic speakers must be able to use both the language of their community as well as standard English. Workshop participants are assigned two Ebonic speaking children to apply Ebonic theory. Six…

This introduction to African American English (AAE) looks at the grammar as a whole, describing patterns in sentence structure, sound system, word formation, and word use in AAE. The book uses linguistic description and data from conversation to explain that AAE is not a compilation of random deviations from mainstream English but rather a…

This document contains the text of a United States District Court decision on a Michigan school district's proposed plan designed to help the teachers at a local elementary school (1) to identify those children who speak Black English and to determine the language spoken as a home or community language, and (2) to employ that knowledge in teaching…

The paper examines aspects involved in providing an accurate evaluation of speech and language of culturally different preschool children. Dialectical differences of Spanish and Black English speakers are detailed. Culturally based nonverbal behaviors and situational factors, including touching behavior and eye contact, are considered. Cultural…

This book on assertiveness from a black viewpoint proceeds from the assumption that there are a large number of black people who could be helped to improve their social and personal functioning by a therapeutic approach based on the psychological totality of the black experience in American society. Included are discussions of: (1) preparing a…

Concludes that providing black children with the inspiration, correct environment, and materials can allow them to express themselves in the ways they know best. Offers suggestions for teachers working with dialect speakers and a list of reading materials. (FL)

The information in this guide should help speech and language pathologists and others who are responsible for the assessment of students from the target populations, African Americans and Hmong students in Wisconsin. The guide provides information pertaining to cultural factors influencing learning and language and recommended procedures for…

In addition to providing a short history of the idea behind and duties of black paraprofessionals in the English classroom, this paper explains how a seven-week skills course was developed to help paraprofessionals develop the necessary Standard English writing and speaking skills, and details many of the excercises used in the course. The paper…

This book provides tools that black parents can use to make their children lifelong lovers of reading and writing. It is geared specifically to black children from the perspective of an educator and parent. The book stresses the need for early involvement in the learning process, challenging the traditional notion that issues surrounding child…

Shared cultural backgrounds and norms about how to use language can influence classroom interactions for minorities, including African Americans. Research finds serious problems when teachers' interactional styles differ from that of students' home communities. The differences can prevent full student participation and limit academic progress.…

This booklet focuses on what African-American parents can do to provide their children with a firm foundation for educational success. African-American children sometimes do not do well in school because of the following factors: (1) poor self-image; (2) different learning styles; (3) low standards set by teachers and parents; and (4) poor…