Suggesting that the United States' dominant form of literacy is contingent and historical, not permanent and absolute, this book asserts that when a society changes its definition of literacy, it also changes its models of mind and its models for teaching English. The book challenges the assumption that the public schools are a failure, arguing…

"Correct English," published continuously between 1899 and 1950, was dedicated to the preservation of "proper" English usage. Josephine Turck Baker, editor and founder, understood that conventions of grammar arose from usage. It was her opinion that correctness was determined by clarity, not by the rules of Latin syntax. Thus,…

Argues that medieval popular literacy can provide a crucial link for understanding alternative literacies. Claims that medieval practices explain some contemporary literacy practices, especially those outside the academy. (HB)

While concerns over literacy are common in contemporary times, similar concerns have been raised in other historical periods. Despite earlier predictions of American mastery of English, the Harvard Reports of the 1890s reflected anxiety over literacy among freshman college students from even "the best families in point of culture and…

Based on the thesis that language, writing, and the symbolic order are crucial considerations for understanding curriculum and schooling, this book addresses the issues of what kinds of literacy are appropriate for life and work in the late 20th century and what historically is the relationship between curriculum and literacy. After an…

Contains representative selections from issues of "Elementary English," a precursor to "Language Arts," from its fifth decade of publication. Includes articles, editorials, and ads reflecting contemporary concerns of English education still relevant today, such as literacy, the increasing interrelationship between politics and…

Sketches the historical movement from orality to literacy, as described by Walter J. Ong, and discusses some general suggestions for teaching writing in a developmental sequence. (Author/GT)