This manual offers states a tool to assist in the development or enhancement of guidelines for access assistants. Whether a state already has guidelines or is just in the process of establishing them, this manual will provide structure to the process and many examples of criteria already included by states. This manual was developed to accompany…

For 3 years, Texas A and M University Kingsville (formerly Texas A and I University) has provided a basic oral interpretation course for teachers specializing in reading on the elementary level. After teaching the course once, the instructor decided to adapt the course to the needs of the students by using children's literature instead of adult…

Describes a college-level course on "Oral and Dramatic Presentation of Hispanic Literature," covering such techniques as dramatization and rehearsal and other ways in which students were encouraged to study and appreciate foreign language literature. (CB)

Reports on trigger scripting, a method of using performed literature to stimulate discussion and understanding of the values of other cultures. Used taped scenes dramatized by interpreters of John Nichols' novel, "The Milagro Beanfield War," followed by questions for discussion. (PD)

Maynard Mack, Emeritus Sterling Professor of English at Yale, discusses his pioneering work with the oral interpretation of literature in the graduate and undergraduate English classroom, making the point that such oral techniques need not be limited to the drama or speech departments. (Author/SJL)

Readers' Theatre is a presentation by two or more participants who read a script. The focus is on effective reading of the script, rather than on a memorized presentation. Discusses preparing the scripts; getting started; the Readers' Theatre Fable Festival; and how Readers' Theatre can be used to enhance the reading and writing program. Includes…

Describes a model for validating creative endeavor as equivalent to scholarship in evaluating teachers for promotion. (PD)

Readers theater is a dramatic art that directs attention to the words of a text. During a performance, a reader (rather than an actor) presents and interprets the work within a narrative context intended by the author. In this project, the text, a collection of the words and writings of a woman known as the Peace Pilgrim, tells the story of her…

The article takes as its starting point my recent ethnography of the Welsh National Opera Company, and the forthcoming monograph "Everyday Arias: making opera work". In the course of that work I revisited the theme of performance: the ethnography of performance and the performance of ethnography. I discuss briefly the everyday work of…

Describes Books on Tape, an unabridged audiobook publisher, and its appeal to the library market. Discussion covers reading styles used on the tapes, the lack of celebrity readers, the story of the company's founding and development, its use of computerized customer tracking and networking, the availability of replacement tapes, and cassette cover…

Mass education in the United States from its inception was concerned with inculcating routine abilities, simple computation, reading basal texts, and reciting religious and civic codes. It did not take into consideration interpretation or creativity. Native Americans have had difficulty fitting into this mold of standardization. Traditional Native…

Outlines a program for incorporating oral interpretation activities into an elementary school curriculum. (RL)

A teacher describes her use of oral family history and story telling to develop students' language skills. Guidelines for obtaining oral histories, developing a specific story, teaching acting techniques, and preparing for performance are offered. (DB)

Reviews the resurgence in the use of literature in the English-as-a-Second-Language classroom and reports on a writing class at a technical university in Singapore. The course included both reading and oral report components. Only general guidelines were given on principles of organization and presentation. Results indicate improvement in student…

Explores the concept of "theater of the mind" and discusses design factors in creating audio works that effectively stimulate mental pictures, including: narrative format in audio scripting; qualities of voice; use of concrete language; music; noise versus silence; and the creation of the illusion of space using monaural, stereophonic,…