Describes how "critical incidents" that occur in the classroom can help teachers address their preconceived notions about learning and teaching, about knowledge, and about what counts as legitimate reading and writing. (HTH)

Presents an annual list of outstanding books that need an introduction by a teacher or other knowledgeable adult in order to be fully appreciated by children. (HTH)

This study examines 240 preschool teachers' self-reported literacy beliefs and practices. Participants taught three- and four-year-olds in publicly funded preschools that are part of the Virginia Preschool Initiative program. Teachers completed a Preschool Literacy Practices Checklist that asked about their beliefs and practices regarding…

Preservice teachers, with no student teaching experience, in a literacy methods course wrote profiles of themselves, pretending that they were first-year teachers, and profiles of actual experienced teachers. Findings from analysis of the profiles focus on preservice teachers' expectations about classroom environment, language arts teaching,…

Reports on a survey that investigated significant differences within the English teacher community in terms of the beliefs and practices on key issues. Makes a contribution to a larger National Council of Teachers of English project to foster communication among disparate groups of English educators. (TB)

Asserts that children in science education must have hands-on experience to discover and make sense of their world. Emphasizes that there is a need for teachers who enjoy both language and science. Argues that children need to discover that they use science, like language, daily. (MM)

A questionnaire survey of 68 educators in programs for deaf and hard-of-hearing students found that 51 percent of the instructional language materials used were not developed specifically for deaf students; 67 percent of respondents cited problems finding appropriate materials; and 60 percent of the educators made their own materials because of…

Depicts the isolation which results when education, particularly language arts education, is concerned primarily with the acquisition of skills. Urges educators not to lose sight of the fundamental purpose of the language arts, which are to help people make and articulate meaning from their experiences, to empower people, and to imagine…

Analyzed think-aloud protocols of elementary teachers as they composed language arts report cards. Found that teachers wrote report cards for specific purposes (to motivate, inform, change behavior, etc.) and audiences (students, parents, teachers, administrators), and that these considerations influenced the information included on the report…

Deals with S. Kagan's (1990) structural approach to cooperative learning and its application to language arts. Offers detailed descriptions of several cooperative learning structures, including Numbered Heads Together, Roundtable, Think-Pair-Share, Corners, and others. Provides examples from actual classroom settings, along with various teacher…

Problematizes two related aspects of educational inclusion reform and its implementation in practice: persistence of unexamined assumptions about disability and uninspired curriculum, reviewing humanities-based disability studies and describing a partnership between a secondary language arts teacher and a college professor when they cotaught a…

Argues against using literature with high school students that is relentlessly dark, depressing, and self absorbed, which English instructors often find Deeply Significant, and which many students find repulsive. Argues that what many young readers want now is a literature of hope. Recommends 20 such books. Offers brief descriptions of 10 new or…

Investigates the use of faculty book clubs as a way to introduce middle school teachers to acclaimed adolescent literature in hopes that they might incorporate the literature read into their language arts and social studies classes. Finds that such clubs are an excellent way to provide staff development in the area of adolescent literature for…

Illustrates ways in which becoming a reader of young adult literature enriched the author's life by making her a better teacher, allowing more connections to students, increasing student involvement, broadening her view of literature in general, connecting her with a rich network of professionals, and putting her back in touch with a part of…