English departments are roundly praised for their emphasis on skills rather than content. In the authors' classes, students read (skill), write (skill), think (skill), speak (skill), and listen (skill). Theoretically, the books being taught are interchangeable and simply a means to skill acquisition. But that's not always what happens in the…

Current scholarship suggests that many youths identify with hip-hop, especially youths of color. Study of this artistic form has been suggested as a means of helping youths acquire and become fluent in literacy practices. This article explores how the use of a hip-hop literacies curriculum addressed the literacy skills of urban ninth-grade English…

In this article Deidre Faughey shares an experimental classroom project that she developed with a diverse group of students in three ninth-grade English Language Arts (ELA) classes. Podcasts provide a unique opportunity for students to embrace experimentation and to take risks with their own voices, explore the school building and community, and…

Harnessing insights from Brophy's (1999, 2008, 2010) notion of scaffolding students' appreciation of learning, this article tackles challenges to student engagement, especially among reluctant students, by exploring two classroom settings in which students' valuing of school content and activities supported their engagement and achievement. The…

In this article, the authors reflect on the last 13 years of The Writers' Room, a program they developed for the Montclair Public Schools (New Jersey), which began officially in the spring of 1993 when a group of parents volunteered to become writing coaches for the newly detracked 9th grade English program. The idea was to help each writer find…

A program to mainstream mildly handicapped (learning disabled and mentally handicapped) ninth graders in a high school English course has been developed in Bettendorf, Iowa. (DB)

A teacher describes his experiences with gifted-accelerated ninth grade English students who designed games instead of writing term papers, thereby enhancing analysis, synthesis, and evaluation skills. A list of questions and suggestions to guide young game designers is included and covers overall design procedures, mechanics, and self-evaluation…

The author provides a personal account of the actions taken by several teachers at Naperville High School to individualize a traditional Freshman English course through learning modules and a credit/no credit grading system. (Editor/SJL)

Describes how a ninth grade teacher uses film, fiction, and composition to teach civic literacy. States that peer-response and peer-editing groups were also used. (PRA)

A teacher defends the effectiveness of the English language and literature program of the International General Certificate of Secondary Education at a Tanganyika international school, despite criticisms of its syllabus, exam structure, and criteria. The program is externally moderated, has sound assessments and strong parental support, and…

Discusses a pilot study in which art therapy was integrated into the ninth-grade English classroom (N=50) of an urban high school. Data from three measures (to reduce drop-out rates, decrease school failure, and improve students' attitudes about school, family, and self) indicate that the program was a success. (RJM)

This paper responds to the fact that in some schools reading, grammar, literature, and vocabulary are still taught separately, despite instructions and staff development which suggest use of an integrated method. The paper first synthesizes research and field-based data, and then offers practical applications of activities which coordinate the…

This article discusses an instructional development system called "holistic" approach, a strategy to improve high school education in Chicago. The initiative includes new curriculum materials, aligned to district standards, as well as assessments and ongoing teacher coaching and training that are designed for the curriculum. The design…

Maintains that the literature curriculum should reflect our pluralist society, not a canonical tradition. Suggests pairing canonical works with works instantiating pluralism. Describes a unit on the novel for a ninth grade honors class and the use of an "adolescent problem novel" in a sophomore intermediate class. (SR)

An overview of a program which coordinates ninth-grade academic English and world history courses is presented along with teaching material for the courses. The classes are taught separately, but the subject matter and major assignments are coordinated by historical period. Teaching materials include: goals and objectives of the program, 13 ideas…