Describes the activities used during an inservice program conducted by Philadelphia's Affective Education Program to help English and language arts teachers improve students' communication skills. (DD)

Reports the results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in the areas of reading, writing, and literature. (JL)

Describes 16 activities that use student-created visual arts to teach conventional reading skills such as organizing sequences and remembering details. Activities suggested include: illustrating poems, descriptions, and stories; designing scenery and costumes; making pictures, book covers, cartoons, and books; and a listening game. (DF)

Finds that Agatha Christie's mysteries can be used to encourage discussion of characterization and human values, to promote reading and literary analysis skills, and to develop both writing and problem-solving skills. Suggests several language arts activities. (MM)

Argues that national policy has imposed on American public education four different standards of literacy, each one more demanding than the one preceding it--signature, recitation, comprehension, and application. Suggests, also, that each standard, which had its root cause in the nation's economy and social structure, was initially applied only to…

Uses complaints leveled against English teachers in l912 to support three points about the crisis in literacy: (1) the "writing crisis" is not new, (2) teaching basics will not solve crisis, and (3) solution to problem should be based on what is known about history and theory of composition instruction and about successful and unsuccessful methods…

A middle school English teacher who frequently observes student teachers notes some of the basic truths of the classroom usually encountered by new instructors. Discusses ways that teacher deportment affects student attitude, the importance of teaching by example, the value of reading aloud, and more. (JG)

Presents a policy statement by the National Council of Teachers of English that identifies the ways in which the study of English contributes to the knowledge, understanding, and skills of those who will make up the society of the future. (JL)