The purpose of this publication is to help teachers identify the levels which children have attained in their thinking as they express their attitudes, values, and behaviors through oral language. Provided are (1) sample questions applicable to various maturity levels to enable teachers to gauge the level of difficulty of their classroom…

This paper discusses the controversy over nonstandard dialects as opposed to the standard language in the teaching of English and makes a case for maintaining a commitment to Standard English. The primary function of standard English is to provide a means by which members of English-speaking society can communicate with each other. It is…

This collection of 15 descriptions of teaching practices was designed to aid classroom teachers and to inform curriculum supervisors, administrators, and the general public of the wide range and complexity of activities within the profession. Two articles emphasize the place of linguistics in the classroom and clarify some of the problems of…

The 11 papers collected in this book provide an analysis of a number of issues basic to English education. J. W. Patrick Creber discusses "rigour" in creative work and the question of "subject-centered" versus "student-centered" curriculums in British schools; Francis G. Townsend describes the working relationships…

The 19 articles on teaching methods collected in this seventh report of the NCTE Committee on Classroom Practices focus on Afro-American ideas, communication, and teaching in megalopolis. Specific topics discussed include (1) the teaching of reading and writing to disadvantaged children, (2) the utilization of black authors and poets in literature…

The 10 addresses in this volume on teacher education illustrate the conference theme of combining the old with the new. Henry C. Meckel surveys what is good in the current preparation of English teachers, and Carl A. Lefevre and Father Daniel Fogarty discuss, respectively, the contributions of linguistic studies and of current thinking about…

Considers: (1) research by George Hillocks using meta-analysis to examine four modes of composition instruction; (2) role playing in classroom to improve student writing of persuasive letters or opinion essays; (3) process approach to English instruction, which allows for complex nature of individual learning styles; and (4) resource for promising…

The National Reporting System (NRS) was developed to report the outcomes of English language, literacy and numeracy provision in Australia's vocational education and training and adult and community education sectors, and in labour market programs. Since its introduction, however, the NRS has been used as more than a reporting tool. It has also…

The aim of this book is to provide a compromise between past and present theories of language teaching and learning. The book is organized into six main parts. In the first part, the author highlights the strengths and weaknesses of both the skills-based approach and the whole-language approach. He then presents a theory that emphasizes the…

In this anthology, rural Alaskan English teachers in the Bread Loaf Rural Teacher Network describe their experiences implementing new state education standards while continuing their commitment to learner-centered and place-based practice. The book presents narratives about teaching grounded in knowledge and understanding of students and…

Tracked one prekindergarten teacher's experience to determine whether a relationship exists between student outcomes and a teacher's ability to use sign language. Found enriching preschool curriculum with sign language improves hearing African American children's receptive English vocabulary and confirms research that simultaneously presenting…

Examines the importance of storytelling and the implications of silence in the classroom, describing "Write for Your Life," an interdisciplinary writing project. The project focuses on improving student writing and on writing's relevance to students' lives and communities. The context is an experience in a methods class that highlighted…

The National Collegiate Athletic Association through its member institutions has implemented academic standards governing initial athletic eligibility and has led reform initiatives tying the ability to compete athletically to student-athlete retention and graduation. Louisiana State University (LSU), like many Division I institutions, admitted…

In this essay, the author explains not only how she came to write her classic text "Literature as Exploration," but she also describes the path of her own professional journey. A conviction about the difference between "literary" and other reading led to her writing "Literature as Exploration" in the first place. In this book, she argued that…

An apparently simple self-study that consisted of a longitudinal review of Grade 12 students' self-reflections from the past five years triggered a personally profound struggle about past classroom practices and surfaced a host of assumptions about teaching and learning. This research challenged the author to enact personal and professional values…