Synthesizes research on the basic processes and instructional factors that influence literacy development. Points out patterns of agreement and disagreement among literacy scholars and practitioners. Presents an agenda for reading research of the future. (RS)

Presents scenarios from a kindergarten classroom in which dramatization is used extensively in conjunction with nonfiction books. Shows how the children acted out topics that ranged from the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving to the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., showing that they were able to develop rich representations of nonfiction materials.…

Describes how the author prepares students for the test using genre study and problem-solving strategies. Notes how she struggles with questions about the role that tests play in schools and in children's lives. Notes the importance of teaching students how to take the test, but recognizes it has become more important to help them understand the…

Considers the motives of corporate America regarding the standards and testing movement in education. Notes that the main objective of the Business Roundtable (a coalition of CEOs of the nation's largest corporations) is not quality education but the preservation of the competitiveness of corporate America. Discusses changes in workplace literacy…

The author of this article is a young elementary teacher at Rosado Elementary in Richmond, California, on the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay. She writes this article as a moving memoir describing her experiences as a tutor in literacy programs developed by low-income schools. In order for their students to remember their lessons, they have…

The art of filmmaking is an excellent means of covertly teaching reading and other communication skills.

Reading instruction, centered around the oral reading of literature, allows children to enjoy stories and forget that they are engaged in an academic exercise.

Describes four encounters--with a doctoral student, a primary grade teacher, a child, and a sociolinguist--to illustrate how teaching and learning, two separate ventures, are sometimes confused with one another. (HTH)

Describes observations of how fourth-grade teacher Donna Carrara integrates literature into her writing program at the Montclair (New Jersey) Kimberly Academy. (HTH)

Contemporary music provides an exciting, inexpensive source of reading material for teaching basic reading skills. (JH)

The main factor in reading instruction is the teacher. (JH)

Reviews the research relating reading and writing, offers instructional implications of that research, and points out directions for further study. (JL)

Presents three basic tenets of the language across the curriculum philosophy: that language develops primarily through its purposeful use, that learning often involves and occurs through talking and writing, and that language use contributes to cognitive development. Discusses important practical implications these principles have for effective…

Describes an informal classroom study in which students tape recorded their thoughts as they read, wrote, and "conferenced" with classmates, and how they discovered the organizational benefits of using the recorder. Also describes the writing conferences and workshops that took place in the classroom. (HTH)

Contains representative selections from issues of "The Elementary English Review," a precursor to "Language Arts," during its second decade of publication. Includes articles, editorials, and ads reflecting contemporary concerns of English education still relevant today, such as integrating the language arts and school closings.…