Two literacy leaders acknowledge the challenges of teaching LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) issues in the classroom. While children come from a variety of family structures, it is necessary to acknowledge that a gay individual was once a child sitting in a classroom. An argument against marginalization and an advocacy for inclusion of…

This "Conversation Currents" features JoBeth Allen and Valerie Kinloch discussing their thoughts and experiences working with families and communities. Allen bases her comments on the belief that programs have to be adaptable to many different constituencies and demographics, and so must be recreated every year with every teacher and…

This column features two prominent literacy scholars, Catherine Compton-Lilly and Eve Gregory. They discuss their recent research studies in various contexts and describe the reciprocal relationships between school, home, and community literacy practices.

Suggests that, among other things, language arts education enables a new generation not only to understand what is, but to ask what might be. (MS)

The outgoing editorial team of Language Arts reflect on their insights about writing a manuscript for submission to a journal. They focus on patterns in the suggestions of reviewers and in their editorial letters over a five year period of time. They then discuss the range of decisions to consider related to planning and writing a draft,…

Explores the emergence of the elementary section of the National Council of Teachers of English, noting how its occasional isolation and specific language have not diminished its influence in the Council's mission. (HTH)

To benefit rather than suffer from language, we must keep it in its place, in balance with other functions of the organism. (DD)

Calls for the educator/researcher to listen to and to assimilate children's stories of their school experiences and to reconstruct the meaning of schooling through their eyes, resisting cultural hegemony, and quantification. (HTH)

Explores internal and external measures of excellence, noting that while excellence is easy enough to recognize, a true and reliable measure of excellence is difficult to come by. (HTH)

Looks theoretically at the topic of authenticity, arguing that it is important to get beneath labels and the surface of classroom activities in order to create instruction that is authentic. Uses hermeneutics to examine authenticity as a perspective to help think through important issues. (SR)

Discusses beliefs about language arts standards of members of the Elementary Section Steering Committee of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). Discusses key assumptions underlying the International Reading Association/NCTE language arts standards and relates to a cycle of learning. (SR)

Explores the potential of teacher research for informing theory. Contends that arguments about the perspectives of researchers and teachers are founded upon positivistic assumptions undergirding particular views of research as well as definitions of researcher and teacher. Encourages collaborative researchers to examine the philosophical bases of…

Discusses four basic trends in children's literature that reflect four possible ways of viewing childhood: the mythic, the didactic, the Rousseauvian, and the nihilistic. (DD)

Recalls memorable moments from the author's public school life which imply that the best possible learning environments are active, meaningful, personalized, and collaborative; nourished by conversation, by reading, and by writing among teachers, administrators, parents, and students; and that the best teachers are learners. (SR)

Describes a collaboration between a researcher and a fifth grade teacher, and how the teacher progressed gradually from a beleaguered instructor to a "researching teacher" capable of solving problems. (HTH)