This report examines some of the issues and practices currently receiving attention in schools and colleges related to establishing an effective means of encouraging the writing competencies of young persons. Some of the suggestions include a shift in instructional approaches as far as elective and required courses are concerned; examining and…

Two essays present a rationale for teaching and learning in the arts and consider the place of the arts in basic education. The first essay, "Art and Educational Inflation," by Jacques Barzun was the keynote address at the National Art Education Association Conference in 1978. Barzun attacks what he calls the inflationary language presently used…

This discussion suggests that most English departments have dealt with the conflict between traditional instruction and the"back-to-the-basics" movement in the language arts by focusing on the individual needs of the student, on the subject in some of its most elementary aspects, and on teaching. The English curriculum, as well as teachers in the…

This document examines study skills and presents various approaches to teaching the skills at the elementary and secondary levels. The teaching of study skills should have a high priority in our schools to help students deal efficiently with their daily classroom tasks and to equip them for a lifetime of learning. There are many different ways to…

Questions whether children are being taught the knowledge and skills they will need to function effectively in the emerging information society and argues that, rather than feeling threatened by computers, teachers should regard them as tools to use to do an even better job in the classroom. (MBR)

In an effort to help basic skills students learn the skills they need to survive in college-level studies and remediate critical areas as quickly as possible, many community colleges have overlooked the value of other studies and the more general literacy that is essential to any education. By rushing to comply with students' utilitarian goals,…

The author's discussion centers on the need to reassess the values of industrial arts, noting that the primary task should be teaching students to use tools and machines safely and effectively; to repair, select, and care for industrial goods; and to test their self-concepts. (Editor/TA)

A literature search revealed various definitions of literacy and various theories about how basic skills relate to occupational skills. For example, literacy was said to be defined within the context of a society and was often measured in society, rather than in isolation. Alarms were sounded about the many people in the United States who lack…

To effectively provide services to assist consumer educators, data was sought regarding (1) the specific types of classes in which consumer education is taught, (2) the concepts and methodology included in consumer education courses, (3) the concepts and methodology for which teachers feel a particular need for additional information, and (4) the…

This report is one of a series of papers presented to a continuing in-house seminar on learning sponsored by the Ford Foundation. The paper reports on several schools where writing and individual expression are valued, identifies one approach to the teaching of writing, and addresses two central questions underlying the crisis of writing in the…

This paper outlines various aspects of the Learning Improvement Group (LIG). The LIG is described as a model for organizing existing resources to meet basic skills needs of students. Reference is also made to the identification of both student and teacher reading/learning needs in self-renewing schools. Suggestions are made regarding the…

In order to measure the preservice and inservice preparation of vocational education teachers, a mail survey was conducted of beginning vocational teachers' perceptions of their competencies and preparation for teaching--especially their preparation for teaching basic skills and special student populations. The survey population included 740…

A reply to a critique of the article "Integration of Basic Skills: The Great Deception in Elementary Social Studies" (Social Studies, Nov-Dec 1982), this article argues that reading about social studies will not teach social attitudes or problem-solving behaviors. (RM)

A general increase in the demand for workplace basic skills mirrors the general increase in societal basic skills demands. As a result, many adults are participating in second-chance basic skills education. Second-chance basic skills programs are offered by a wide variety of providers, but populations actually served by programs rarely amount to…

The Basic Skills Agency, funded by the DfES, has been developing the use of a financial context as a way of teaching literacy and numeracy to adults. SAFE, an initiative of Toynbee Hall's Adult Advice and Education team, is dedicated to providing practical services to promote financial capability and to increase financial inclusion. Joint work…