Brief prescriptions are offered for the teaching of Afro-American Literature, and specific materials that might be used in conventionally structured high school literature courses are suggested and discussed in relation to the historical periods in which they were created. Following this, a selected reading list of literature by Afro-Americans for…

This paper is divided into the following five sections, each of which considers an aspect of teaching grammar: the importance of teaching English grammar, teaching the patterns of words and sentences, the functions of words, making sentences, and a curriculum proposal for teaching standard English in the elementary grades through high school. (LL)

Thirty-five English educators identify three priority areas: (1) pedagogy, including class size, occupational conditions, and the dropout rate; (2) teacher issues, including teacher motivation, teacher training, and administrative relations; and (3) curriculum issues, including grammar and repetition in textbooks. (JG)

Describes a teacher's experience teaching sixth grade drama in Britain, where drama is viewed as distinct from literature and stresses role playing. Outlines particular improvisation activities, scriptwriting projects, approaches to class discussion, and the use of dramatic activities to teach other subjects. (JG)

Maintains that the literature curriculum should reflect our pluralist society, not a canonical tradition. Suggests pairing canonical works with works instantiating pluralism. Describes a unit on the novel for a ninth grade honors class and the use of an "adolescent problem novel" in a sophomore intermediate class. (SR)

Argues that a teacher must develop activities for the classroom with the uniqueness of a particular group of students in mind and that a set of activities that works in one setting should not become a static curriculum, uncritically adopted as a formula. (SRT)

Describes an approach to mainstreaming Native American works into an American literature survey college course using the "Norton Anthology of American Literature." Goals are to situate Native American texts within the canon, accentuate their aesthetic qualities, address the fundamental questions they raise about literature and American…

When teaching writing, most high school English teachers encourage students to express their feelings. The paper discusses the evolution of process writing, which is a belief that writing is a process of discovery and not a product. The paper questions process writing, suggesting it adversely affects clarity, structure, and thought. (SM)

Describes reading recovery programs aimed at helping students rediscover the pleasure of reading. Presents findings of a study designed to determine parents' attitudes toward such programs. Gives evidence of parental satisfaction, including numerous excerpts from interviews with parents. (HB)

This book offers teachers a convenient means of broadening their understanding of various kinds of composition theory and the steadily emerging field of teacher research by high school and college instructors. The book is designed to arouse individual teachers' interest in composition theory and encourage them to learn about and participate in…

This report describes the procedures used by a New Jersey high school English department of 15 teachers to improve the critical thinking skills of their students and thus allow the students to assume greater autonomy in their learning. Emphasis was placed on improving critical thinking skills of the students through literature and writing…

Students need to be made comfortable with the "foreign" language of British English before they can fathom the range of and changes in English literature through the centuries. In one approach to college English, students spend most of the first semester studying nineteenth century novels. After having studied four such novels, each for between…

Marion Sheridan, President of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) in 1949-50, questioned traditional values, defending or assaulting them as the circumstances of a rapidly changing world deemed necessary. The voice that spoke through her writing was instrumental in modifying English curriculum. She pioneered the use of film in the…

Focusing on English instruction for mainstreamed learning disabled (LD) high school students, this paper surveys and interprets the literature on the subject, examines specific teaching methods and student study skills that have worked in this area, and reviews the English program proposed by Daniel Fader. Specifically, sections discuss the…