This article aims to clarify concerns regarding what constitutes acceptable scholarship in education at a time when such scholarship is under challenge from publications and institutions with a strong bias toward policy advocacy. This is accomplished by examining the Fordham Foundation--supported publication "Whole-Language High Jinks"…

Presents a case study of a sixth grade teacher trying to increase her use of literature for language arts instruction. Shows the challenges and successes of attempting to get better at teaching. (PRA)

The whole language movement evolved partly from a larger political context. Anti-whole language arguments were responses to increased student and teacher empowerment threatening traditional hierarchies and certain characterizations of whole language. By calling whole language a point on the pendular cycle, critics mounted an aggressive campaign in…

The pilot project described in this report involved the development of an integrated art and music curriculum model for elementary grades. In this discussion, an example of one integrated unit is described for each of grades one through six. The curriculum units are centered around literary or musical themes that incorporate a variety of…

This digest investigates seven of the most prevalent and damaging myths about literacy in the United States. In response to various claims about American elementary and secondary students' test score declines in reading achievement, the author interprets data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the International…

Research on restructuring domain-specific knowledge suggests that inferences made by a learner are based more on what and how concepts are structured and organized in particular domains than on the age of the learner. In this view, it is possible for children to operate more expertly in a particular area than could be explained by global stage or…

Reviews a study that used a collaborative action research model to explore ways to integrate music authentically into the curriculum of a particular whole-language first-grade classroom. Presents a more differentiated definition of integration, identifying five types: topical, associated skills, conceptual, higher-level thinking, and pedagogical.…

A study examined a new collaborative consultation process to enhance the classroom implementation of whole language science units that make use of computers and multimedia resources. The overall program was divided into three projects, two at the fifth-grade level and one at the third grade level. Each project was staffed by a team of one…