Lack of motivation to read is the culprit of many students' struggles in literacy achievement, resulting in wider gaps in reading achievement and resulting inequities in schools across America. When students are provided with the ability to choose the text they read for English class, they have an increase in interest and commitment to read, which…

A guide to the development of a class project in novel writing is provided in this paper. A seven-week production schedule is suggested with projects including: (1) setting, plot, beginning character development, and selecting editors; (2) continuing character development and outlining plot; (3) working on the rough draft; (4) filling in the rough…

Shows how teaching "The Bluest Eye" not only helps students learn about the time period of the novel and its relevant issues and techniques, but also helps them to understand themselves. Shows how it can fit into contemporary literature classes, introductory courses to fiction or literature, or into women's literature classes. (EL)

A study explored the developing literacy response of adolescents through writing by investigating three characteristics: patterns, individual variations, and the effects of genre on response. Subjects, 7 grade nine students from a small private secondary school on the west coast of Canada, were selected for their wide reading experiences. Subjects…

Well-written, with a flair for character development, and focusing on controversial issues, Michael Crichton's novel "The Andromeda Strain" can precipitate lively discussions in science, English, and social studies classes and can help students to integrate all three areas. English and science teachers can collaborate in a variety of…

A study examined notable contemporary novels published for adolescents to determine the extent of religious concerns and issues in the critical dialogue. Twenty-four novels published for adolescents on Donelson and Nilsen's Honor Listing for 1982-86 were examined. Eleven of these novels were found to have a strong religious dimension, indicating…

This report discusses college English preparatory or gifted and honors English classes and describes research conducted with students from four college preparatory English classes in 1974. The study involved 96 academically talented seniors who were asked to respond to two structurally dissimilar novels, a free-verse poem and a short story. The…

Novels intended for adolescent readers have the following qualities in common: a tone that is implied by the diction and the syntax; themes that relate to adolescent concerns such as the search for status and identity, breaking family ties, and handling sex; a predilection to teach through example or to convey a message; and an atmosphere of…

Case studies can be a powerful strategy to use for helping students learn critical thinking processes that are key to interpreting and responding to literature and writing. Some of the major benefits of applying case methods are: cases provide an environment for active learning; they encourage the creation of a community of learners; cases help…

When crucial issues of text teaching were researched from "both sides" of the teaching context in 1999, findings dramatized the demands of teaching text in years seven to ten English in Australia and suggested some ways that it could be done better. Interviews were conducted with 14 secondary English teachers and 53 of their students (in…

Addresses the issue of literature appreciation and the role of English teachers in encouraging that appreciation. (AEA)

Intended to help teachers integrate writing instruction with the study of literature, this teaching guide offers a philosophy of writing instruction, describes a procedure for teaching reading and writing lessons, and provides a sequence of writing skills. For various literature selections, the guide defines vocabulary, provides topic discussion…

One high school course in the novel that has proved to be very successful for gifted students requires four novels and--rather than quizzes and oral discussion--analytical papers and responsive journal writing. While the students pace their reading, the teacher can judge by the journal entries whether the students are on schedule. To enhance…

A literature course entitled "The Victorian Illustrated Book: A Marriage of Image and Word," offered at Skidmore College in New York, was designed to help students make connections between art and literature. Based on the premise that illustrations in Victorian books can be "decoded" much like a written text, students were…

An English course at DePauw University (Indiana) on the history of the novel was greatly enhanced by the addition of technology. The course looks at novels as portraits of a very flexible human nature in the context of a culture that has steadily changed, moving from a feudal system of static social structure, an economy based on barter, fixed and…