Meant to be adapted by the K-4 classroom teacher to best meet the needs of students, this book describes Children's Own Stories, a program in which young children dictate their ideas and thoughts to adults, and develop a sense of community with their peers as they talk together, share their stories, collaborate on stories, and read and enjoy works…

Noting the fragile relationship between parent participation and school reform, this book tells the story of the Charquin Program, an alternative public school program in Hayward, California, dedicated to parent participation and notable for its open classroom structure and intensely democratic practice. The introduction relates the history and…

This booklet outlines the basics of a schoolwide whole language program and describes the roles of teachers and the principal in it. Because there are legitimate differences among good programs, guidelines and suggestions are offered more often than definitive answers. The first four sections are entitled, respectively "Principles of Language…

An experimental English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) program at City College (New York) is reported. The federally funded project investigated the effectiveness of an instructional method entitled "Fluency First" and based on whole language theories of learning. It requires large amounts of reading and writing, collaboration with peers,…

The collection of articles from publications of the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) offers a theoretical basis for construction of effective English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs. Articles address issues of national policy, content and design of academic programs, and the context for ESL learning. They are:…