This article explains the use of the origins of American English and the dictionary to teach multiculturalism to elementary school students. It suggests classroom activities that help students explore the cultural roots behind words and appreciate the ways words have been created. Esperanto and the development of an international language are also…

David Bilingual Learning Center (Tucson, AZ) blends academic and cultural learning into an enriching experience through an elementary magnet program which teaches language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science in students' native languages of either English or Spanish and then incorporates the second language through a "Language of the…

This resource book is one of a series containing lesson plans for grades 1-3 designed to support children's literature books sharing familiar social studies themes. "Long Ago Times" presents eight different children's books related to the theme. For each book social studies concepts are presented, followed by four activities called "windows." Some…

This resource book is one of a series containing lesson plans for grades 1-3 designed to support children's literature books sharing familiar social studies themes. "Journeys" presents eight different children's books related to the theme. For each book social studies concepts are presented, followed by four activities called "windows." Some of…

This resource book is one in a series containing lesson plans for grades 1-3 designed to support children's literature books sharing familiar social studies themes. "Across America" presents eight different children's books related to the theme. For each book social studies concepts are presented, followed by four activities called "windows." Some…

Provides an annotated book list for use by elementary school teachers. Emphasizes children's involvement in word play and word games as a means to strengthen the language arts program. Specific areas covered include word play and word games, riddles, jokes, rhymes and verse, sounds and words, and word histories. (DST)

Urges teachers, in helping children acquire language power, to provide opportunities for the students to enlarge their experiences and then help them find appropriate words to clarify and organize thinking about that experience. (MM)

Relates the shared whole language experiences of a native college student majoring in education and a third-grade Korean student who was learning English, concluding that both learned from the experiencing-writing-reading activities. (DD)

Aspects of the spoken language development of the preschool and primary school child are briefly covered, with specific attention given to receptive and expressive language, semantics, syntax, memory, articulation, pragmatics, and metalanguage. Developmental norms are indicated in the areas of vocabulary development, sentence structure…

Picture song books can be used to enhance language arts skills. (JH)

Educational games can make the English classroom a giant playground for natural language opportunities. Some of the games include (1) the use of the animate-inanimate switch for a unit on the language of advertising, where the students use two decks of word cards (one for nouns and the other for adjectives), the purpose being to match the…

Reflecting an orientation to reading, language development, and students, this guide was drawn together to help give focus and direction to the efforts that are occurring in schools where people are studying the environment in which a child becomes a reader. An overview of the guide centers around the belief that a child will become a reader if he…

An exploration of the reasons for the failure of former elementary school foreign language programs precedes the identification of issues that should be addressed to ensure the effectiveness of current and future programs. The three basic FLES program models, Foreign Language Experience (FLEX), sequential FLES, and immersion, are described. (CB)

Describes the origins and characteristics of six southern dialects: (1) South Midland; (2) Florida Cracker; (3) Gullah; (4) Southern Black Dialect; (5) Acadian French; and (6) Cajun English. Suggests books representative of each that can be used to introduce these dialects to elementary children. (NH)