The purpose of this digest is to review various interpretations of balanced reading instruction and to explore the relationship between this instructional approach to beginning reading and state reading standards. Sections of the digest address what balanced reading is, offer examples from classroom practice, and discuss reading instruction and…

Presents annotations of 12 books, conference papers, and other materials concerning the reading/writing connection, literature-based reading, and whole language. (RS)

During the 1970s direct phonics instruction was the preferred method of reading instruction. In the 1980s the whole language concept caught on and phonics instruction was considered defunct. In the 1990s the pendulum, in the process of swinging back, was intercepted before it went to the extreme of "all phonics," by a balanced approach…

This digest discusses some of the ways children develop functional phonics knowledge in the context of authentic reading and writing, as well as some of the ways teachers can foster such development. The digest suggests that children develop phonics knowledge by: having familiar stories or poems read to them repeatedly; discussing letter/sound…

This document consists of the six issues of "NCLEnotes", the newsletter of the National Clearinghouse on ESL (English as a Second Language) Literacy Education (an adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse) published during the three-year period 1991-1993. Major articles in these issues include: "Issues in Literacy Education"; "The…

This digest discusses the concept of "phonemic/phonological awareness"--the awareness that spoken language is made up of discrete sounds. The digest also discusses why this concept is so important to early childhood educators, its relation to the debate on the best type of reading instruction, and teaching methods that may help children…

This digest discusses various ways in which literature can be incorporated with world geography to make better connections across the curriculum. Reasons to use a literature-based approach to teach geography include: (1) there is a natural link between geography and literature; (2) the study of literature improves comprehension of geography; and…

This digest argues that whole language theorists and adult education theorists have much in common, much to say to one another, and much to learn from one another. The digest first defines and discusses "whole language," then defines and discusses "andragogy," (the learning of adults) and finally asks educators to recognize…

After defining whole language as a philosophy of literacy instruction based on the concept that students need to experience language as an integrated whole, this ERIC "FAST Bib" presents an annotated list of 35 ERIC documents and journal articles consisting of critiques of and responses to the whole language approach in the elementary school. The…

Questions about gifted readers and how best to teach them have been posed for years and continue to be posed by educators today. A review of current research helps to clarify how to identify gifted readers and what they need in the way of classroom instruction. The general consensus is that reading programs for the gifted should be specialized and…

This annotated bibliography of material from the ERIC database presents 87 annotations on the topic of the "whole" whole-language debate. Entries in the bibliography are grouped under the topics of philosophy and analysis; the struggle for a definition; comparative analyses of whole language versus traditional approaches; and application…

Adult literacy is an integral part of today's educational movement and will continue to be a focus as changing needs of society are addressed. This bibliography presents annotations of 40 journal articles and ERIC documents dealing with instructional strategies in adult literacy. Annotations in the bibliography date from the period 1989-1992 and…

This digest discusses the rationale for integrating language and content instruction, and provides an overview of some of the program models and teaching techniques that focus on this approach. The following program models are highlighted: Content-based language instruction, sheltered subject matter teaching, theme-based instruction, sheltered…

This book presents a debate between "reasonable" educators who either claim that there is evidence for the effectiveness of whole language, or who challenge the claim that whole language works across the broad spectrum of learners. The book presents the debate in the form of formal debate resolutions, opening "statements,"…

This ERIC/RCS Special Collection contains seven ERIC Digests (brief syntheses of the research on a specific topic in contemporary education) and eight FAST Bibs (Focused Access to Selected Topics--annotated bibliographies with selected entries from the ERIC database), providing up-to-date information in an accessible format. The collection focuses…