A project in Thailand to develop domain-referenced English language tests for use with Thai secondary and college students is described. The first phase consisted of developing standardized tests for listening, speaking, reading, and writing based on existing syllabuses, determining the common levels of English proficiency in those domains, and…

A topic of student interest, earthquakes, is used as a vehicle for teaching reading and research skills in a California junior high school. Students develop geography skills by labeling fault lines on maps of the Pacific Basin, California, and San Francisco; develop their vocabulary by preparing a list of words about earthquakes; and practice word…

While ability to read and think critically is the very basis of post-secondary education, increasing numbers of college students lack these skills. A sequence of two courses in critical reading and thinking are currently offered in the Concentrated Studies program at Duquesne University in Pennsylvania. In these courses, students who are…

These conference proceedings include: (1) opening speeches; (2) "Must Language Teaching Be Communicative?" (Christopher Brumfit); (3) "Recipes for Tired Teachers" (Mario Rinvolucri); (4) "Facing the Challenge of New Technologies: Interactive Video and the AUTOTUTOR Project" (David Little, Eugene Davis); (5) a panel discussion of questions…

A college-level integrated study skills and orientation course is described. The unique aspect of the course is that learning/teaching occurs in the context of the university environment. Learning experiences generally utilized with this approach to reading and study skills instruction are illustrated by the following projects: an organized…

This course design is presented as an example of a computer assisted instructional program for adolescent Mexican American migrants. Like other migrants, they suffer from poor socioeconomic conditions, language and literacy problems, and intermittent classroom attendance. In addition, the regular American course of studies does not appear to have…

The purpose of this book is to provide a variety of practical, challenging ideas for teaching reading skills and motivating students to read for pleasure. Sections of the book provide information on the following topics: (1) the principal's role in reading instruction; (2) developing a teaching strategy--philosophy, goals, and objectives; (3)…

A report is presented on a two-year project developed by the Cleveland Public Schools to develop and pilot-test a "packaged" curriculum model designed to support both the basic and functional skill development of high school students in each of five major content areas--English, social studies, mathematics, science, and…

Thirty Mora, New Mexico parents attended a 13-session parent involvement workshop (The Mora Adventure) designed to help parents foster successful school experiences through non-school activities with their children. A parent involvement model was used as the basis of the workshop in which the parents developed more effective communication skills;…

Discusses some of the possibilities for using Apple II computers to teach young children basic skills and enhance their computer literacy. Reviews 14 pieces of software from seven different publishers. Provides the name and address of the publisher, along with a description of each program and its capabilities. (TW)

Literacy is a term that has been defined many ways, with definitions ranging from those that are very narrow to those that are very broad. Among the more wide sweeping was that of the 1991 National Literacy Act, which defined literacy as a wide range of language tasks associated with everyday life, including those "necessary to function on…

The National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) Adult Reading Components Study (ARCS) was the first large-scale attempt to describe the reading of students enrolled in adult basic education (ABE) and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) using a battery of individually administered reading and language tests.…

One component of the Reading Plan for Michigan is to develop and implement methods of assessing children's progress in acquiring early literacy skills and of communicating their status and progress to other teachers and parents. This document presents an assessment and instructional system, the Michigan Literacy Progress Profile 2001 (MLPP 2001),…

Maintains that the rich and interesting subject matter of social studies makes it a natural complement to literacy programs. Briefly describes instructional strategies for literacy and discusses how these can be used in conjunction with the "History-Social Science Framework for California Public Schools." (MJP)

Outlines the instructional strategies that overcame the language difficulties of a Hispanic/Anglo third grade social studies class. The class focused on local history in Pasadena, California which required competence in both Spanish and English. Includes instructional materials, graphic organizers, and guidelines for further units. (MJP)