In this article, Boldt considers decisions teachers must make about the value of children's writing as a form of play in primary classrooms. She offers a brief history of the framing of this question at 1966 Dartmouth Conference on English, focusing particularly on the perspective of Jimmy Britton. She highlights the relationship between Britton's…

Describes the development of a writing teachers' network. Discusses some of the successes and the causes of friction in the group, noting that encouragement must come from within the group. (HTH)

Shares a story about a young girl who gains confidence through encouragement from and interaction with a special teacher. (MG)

Argues that "whole language" is a philosophy that places meaning making at the center of learning and instruction. Suggests that literature and a literature-based program play a critical role in the classroom and in developing student motivation. Suggests that the teacher is the critical facilitator for meaning making in an interactive…

Reflects on teaching and provides inspiration for teachers through a discussion of what introspective teaching is all about. (MG)

Uses an epistemological framework to consider the role of direct instruction in learning and teaching, asking why, to whom, how, and when it is appropriate. Offers reflections on knowing and knowledge, and on knowledge building in the classroom. Discusses two levels of teaching and the role of direct instruction. Offers an example of talking and…

Illustrates how the author's experiences as a child, parent, teacher, storyteller, and woman have influenced both her understanding of the reading process and the way she teaches reading and writing. Claims that each role provides her with different information and a unique perspective. (JD)

Compares the ways in which traditional and critical educational theorists relate the issues of school knowledge and control to the notion of power. Analyzes some of the major contributions each of the various positions has made to understanding how power and knowledge function in school life. (HTH)

Applies James Britton's ideas about the spectator and participant roles in writing to the teaching of literature to fifth and sixth graders. Suggests that what may work best for teachers and for students is to see reading as an expressive act in which all freely sway between participant and spectator roles. (RS)

Describes actual classroom episodes from three successful teachers and analyzes patterns of teacher-child interaction that empower both learners and teachers. Assumes that successful teaching is not accidental, that only powerful teachers can empower students, and that the teacher's role is both central and crucial. (SRT)

Discusses the use of models for teaching children to write, suggesting that successive drafts rather than a finished poem used as models of the revision process might be more effective. Includes three drafts of a poem by the author, discussing observations for teaching illustrated by the poem's revision process. (HTH)

Discusses how young minds come to understandings about how words work, what conditions are necessary for these realizations, and how teachers can help. Discusses instruction that hinders, allows, or helps students' progress. (RS)

Argues that teachers in America's school systems are not beneficiaries of "enhanced professionalism" but victims of processes which, in the name of reform, take away teachers' professional rights to make decisions about teaching. Describes the activities of groups of teacher-activists who are working to maintain the autonomy of teachers.…

Five educational leaders--John Downing, Richard E. Hodges, Charlton Laird, Pose Lamb, and Roy C. O'Donnell--offer reflections on significant developments in research on language development during the 1970s and on their hopes for language research and instruction in the 1980s. (GT)

Discusses a theoretical framework that draws together previous research on the role of the educator in children's learning. Urges teachers to create classroom "communities" in which children have some control over their learning environment and interact with teachers and peers to carry out legitimate personal and social tasks. (HTH)