A survey of 21 of the 22 public and Catholic schools in Edmonton (Alberta) examined materials used in 10th-grade English classes. Teachers cited 1,698 titles, but a small number of titles predominated the lists, suggesting a clearcut "school canon." Includes discussion and tables of the most frequently cited novels, plays, films, short…

This report summarizes and compares findings of researchers' and teachers' opinions in six subject areas (literature, social studies, science, mathematics, music, and art) about ideal and actual elementary school curricula. Three researchers and three teachers participated in each subject area. Participants were asked to write detailed responses…

In 1991, a study was conducted to determine which student characteristics contributed to success and progression through the English skills course sequence at Sacramento City College. The 371 students in the study were enrolled in selected remedial/developmental English classes or in College Composition (English 1A) at the beginning of spring…

This sourcebook presents reading guides for 22 literary works frequently used by secondary school English teachers. The guides contain an overview of the work, a pool of instructional objectives for each work, a variety of activities, a series of discussion options, suggestions for evaluation, and annotated lists of related works. Included are:…

Intended as a guide for local-level policymakers, curriculum planners, teachers, and librarians, this book lists over 1200 titles of books as examples of good literature for high school students. It is intended to encourage educators to review their literature programs and the accompanying instructional materials and to encourage students to read…

Designed to help classroom teachers implement the "Alabama Course of Study: Language Arts," this curriculum guide for grades 4-6 is in three major sections. The first section is a table of contents that lists desired student outcomes under each of the major strands mandated by the course of study (listening, speaking, reading, and…

A poetry unit was developed for a practicum project in a regular eighth-grade English class to improve student participation and to decrease speech anxiety for students. Methods employed within this unit included the use of clarity and structure, classroom environment, student-chosen seating, praise and success, small group activities, share time,…

An study was conducted in an adult education center and a community school in Scotland to determine the perceived effectiveness of a range of methods for teaching English. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, observation of teaching, course documents, and informal conversations with 47 students and 2 teachers. Findings included…

The Board of Regents of South Dakota's public colleges and universities decided in 1984 to implement a Value-Added Testing program (an exit test required for graduation) modelled on the Northeast Missouri State University plan. The plan was intended to increase student learning, improve curricular design, and encourage excellent teaching.…

Intended to help education students develop a theoretical framework that will allow them to make cohesive instructional decisions and plan integrated language arts programs, this guide bridges the gulf between language research and classroom practice, acknowledging that language research is increasingly based upon language produced in such natural…

The Success in Reading and Writing Program used in the District of Columbia Public Schools in 1985-86 is described and evaluated. The program, used in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, employed a variety of materials, as well as the students' own writing. Instruction lasted approximately 2.5 hours each school day. The program connected reading…

Intended for teachers of high school honors English courses, this guide developed by the Escambia County School District (Florida) provides two differentiated curricula appropriate to the unique learning styles of the gifted language arts student. The ninth grade design features six units tied to the theme of individuality, while the tenth grade…

This guide describes the curriculum for the Children's Literature Course at the New Futures School, a high school for pregnant and parenting teens. In addition to teaching the students about good literature which is written for children, one of the main objectives of the course is to convince teen parents of the importance of reading aloud to…

Designed to coordinate composition instruction between the primary and senior high school years, this curriculum guide presents a system for both the direct teaching of specific composition objectives and the assessment of student achievement and program effectiveness. The first of the guide's five major sections explains the curriculum's scope,…

Designed primarily for English faculty at two-year colleges in California, "Inside English" includes articles on major instructional, curricular, administrative, and employment issues of concern to teachers in the field as well as information on the activities of the English Council of the California Two-Year Colleges (ECCTYC). The December 1975…