Presents the characteristics of the more popular spelling theories, describes how the optimal spelling system would work, reviews recent research on spelling, and draws implications for the teaching of spelling. (DD)

Outlines how Purdue University initiated and shaped a doctoral program in rhetoric and composition within the English department. Provides an account of the department's goals, contextual influences, and emergent features in instituting such a program. (HB)

Discusses the "crisis in representation" experienced in the humanities since the 1960s. Considers the relationship of academic knowledge to political power in terms of an ongoing struggle for representation. Recognizes higher education as a leading agent in redistributing access to representation in the public sphere. (HB)

Provides an update on the progress being made at the National Research Center on Literature Teaching and Learning. Discusses research-in-progress with teachers struggling to adapt their instruction to a response-based approach to reading literature. Presents a framework of optional strategies for teachers. (RS)

Examines secondary school reading instruction from the information-processing and sociocultural perspectives. Reviews research on cognitive strategy instruction and its effectiveness. Presents implications for instruction. (HB)

Examines the rationale and related research supporting inclusion of the arts in secondary English and history courses. Looks at examples from a classroom teacher's experience in including drama, painting, and music into the literature curriculum. (RS)

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…

To bridge the gap between literature and composition, and between tradition and individual talent, teachers of literature and composition should consider how Roman rhetoricians integrated many arts into their instruction on oratory. With the perspectives of Cicero and Quintilian in hand, teachers would be inclined to stress rhetorical…

This paper explores some alternative ways to think about critical thinking in the study of literature in the elementary grades. In a review of the research, the paper examines several factors that have shaped, or influenced, the trends in the literature curriculum over the years to determine if and how these factors influenced the teaching of…

The 16 articles in this journal issue deal with women's studies within the English curriculum. Topics discussed in the articles include (1) the feminist challenge to the male-centered curriculum in higher education; (2) the women's movement and women's studies; (3) connotations of the word "girl"; (4) women in English education; (5) the new…

In poetry, the only escape from meter is mastery. An understanding of the physical basis of poetry contributes not only to the literary appreciation and analysis of poetry but also to effective communication and language usage in daily life. The ideal time to begin teaching meter is in early childhood, but many older students need to be…

Lists and discusses factors that contribute to creativity theory, such as analogy, archetypes, symbols, conditions that foster creativity, and syntactic fluency. (RL)

Proposes that communicative language teaching must be evaluated in light of second language acquisition theory and research. Argues that without this critical perspective, communicative language teaching runs the risk of being no better than the traditional methods it was intended to replace. (SR)

This paper puts forward an argument for re-thinking the nature and function of English and English Education, especially the teaching of literature, and proposes a model of empathic intelligence, which helps to formulate how much re-shaping might occur. The paper states that English literacy educators have relied for far too long on a hybrid…

Research indicates that incorporating both pre-reading and post-reading activities into the English curriculum contributes to a more successful reading experience for students of all ages and backgrounds. The primary advantage of using either (or both) strategies is that they actively involve students in what they are reading and studying,…