This article provides commentary on "Investigating the Impact of Literacy-infused Science Intervention on Economically Challenged Students' Science Achievement: A Case Study from a Rural District in Texas" (EJ1306217) which is about the impact of educational interventions on the scientific and academic achievements of students from…

This essay offers a commentary on how the relationship between language and literacy practices in and out of school has been conceptualized. It draws upon two new books in the field. Shirley Brice Heath's new book, "Words at Work and Play: Three Decades in Family and Community Life," which makes use of rich ethnographic accounts of…

"Policy Perspectives" presents visiting authors' own views and/or research on issues relevant to schools and communities nationwide. The idea that reading skill is largely a set of general-purpose maneuvers that can be applied to any and all texts is one of the main barriers to our children's overall low achievement in reading, argues…

Stroop interference is often taken as evidence for reading automaticity even though young and poor readers, who presumably lack reading automaticity, present strong interference. Here the relationship between reading skills and Stroop interference was studied in a 7th-grade sample. Greater interference was observed in children diagnosed with…

Concern with performance assessment in key areas of curriculum in British and Welsh schools has prompted the development of instruments for measuring Welsh language skills. An account is given of the preparation of tests to assess the language skills of students with Welsh as a first language and as a second language. (PJM)

Precision in language usage can be thought of as an ego boosting activity, a snobbish pastime, an arrogant trait; or it can be interpreted as an attempt to aid audiences in understanding exact meaning, an effort to reduce ambiguity, and/or as a positive role model for others in one's language community. This essay argues that the latter set of…

Vocational education students are characterized by the fact that they tend to lack role models and subsequently lack coping strategies. In addition, they lack educational planning. Many are casualties of a prior hope in that they have already dropped out of or have been pushed out of academic programs. At the same time, occupational training…

Presents an overview of the problem of adult illiteracy and discusses what it means to be literate. Offers considerations pertaining to the teaching of literacy and of how technology might be used to facilitate this teaching. Concludes with recommendations about how to exploit the possibilities of technology in literacy education. (FL)

Makes a case for the continued emphasis on the incorporation of reading and listening skills in the second language proficiency movement and considers ways in which this movement has advanced such skill development. (CB)

Provides a statement one reading-language skills teacher prepared for his colleagues concerning the services he could offer them and listing what he expected in return from both teachers and students. (FL)

There is a tendency for students studying a French lesson to lose the positive effects gained during the listening and speaking phase when they read the "Lecture" sections of their texts. A study of six beginning level French texts shows that the "Lecture" is difficult for students and not systematically graduated in difficulty. (PJM)

Claims students can become better readers and writers by acquiring knowledge of the structure of the English language and developing skill in using the language. Discusses strategies for helping students to recognize five sentence patterns, and learn how to expand sentences. (NH)

Postage stamps provide second-language instructors with colorful and appealing materials to emphasize the four language skills and to introduce cultural topics. The use of visual materials in the classroom increases student interest, bestows a sense of the context of the language, and provides a specific reference point of stimulus. (41…

Skills integration generally refers to linking two or more of the traditional four skills of language learning: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. This article describes two kinds of skills integration--traditional and "real life"--and presents arguments for skills integration. Sample exercises are included. (12 references) (LB)

A great deal of time could be saved in all grades and for all content areas if a truly phonic alphabet were developed. This alphabet would have only one symbol for each sound and only one sound for each symbol so that beginning readers could learn to pronounce any word they could see and spell any word they could pronounce correctly. Such an…