This article describes how a teacher at the Manitoba School for the Deaf applied Kaplan's Curriculum Differentiation Model for gifted and talented students to develop a thematic unit ("Patterns") for a grade 3 whole language classroom. (Author/DB)

A teacher at the Hawaii School for the Deaf and Blind recounts his experience implementing a whole-language approach with an elementary class of students with hearing impairments. The effort, focusing on insects, utilized dialog journals, word banks, shared reading, guided reading and writing, independent reading, and theme activities. A…

Describes a preschool class for deaf children co-taught by two teachers (one hearing, one deaf) that uses a whole language approach to build students' American Sign Language (ASL) and written English skills. The class uses a thematic approach to organize learning activities through the creative use of ASL. (DB)

Describes the Thematic Experience Approach, designed to build on positive experiences that enlarge the high school dropout's perspective while building self-esteem, background knowledge, and reading ability. Describes a sample unit dealing with legal rights as presented in a history class, a futures class, and two language arts classes. (RS)

Focuses on three approaches to integrated instruction: (1) literature-based; (2) theme-based; and (3) project-based. Each approach is explained and illustrated through descriptions of successful classroom examples. Literature-based integration utilizes a story to build a unit, thematic units are built around a topic, and project-based integration…

A teacher who had directed a K-12 language arts program at the Alamo Navajo Reservation in Magdalena, New Mexico employed problem-solving skills that involved the affective domain as well as the sensory-motor areas important to education even in older children. This teacher's classrooms are heterogeneously grouped. A thematic approach is used…

This exploratory research describes results of a thematic literature-based unit in an upper elementary, self-contained class for students with learning disabilities. Social and collaborative activities included reading, writing, and speaking on the topic of friendship. Literacy outcomes are illustrated in three case histories. (DB)

"Think Big" is a thematic literary unit, using literature about elephants in a holistic way and attempting to cross the curriculum into the content areas of science and math. It is a way of expanding the basal reading series and providing appropriate and supportive instruction in a cooperative, more interactive learning environment. To…

A teacher of preschool and kindergarten students with hearing impairments recounts her increasing use of whole language, process-oriented teaching methods. Considers the teacher's new role, the classroom environment, use of thematic units, emergent reading, emergent writing, and evaluation. (DB)

Maintains that the whole-language approach to reading and writing presents another challenge to music teachers who are asked to create complementary instruction as part of an integrated curriculum. Discusses three commonly agreed-on characteristics and areas of disagreement among those who advocate the whole-language approach. (CFR)

Asserts that the whole-language approach is a philosophy of learning in which children construct knowledge by actively engaging in classroom projects that have real meaning for them. Describes thematic studies using a whole-language approach in which children (with teacher assistance) decide what themes will be studied. (CFR)

The school of education at Indiana University Southeast (IUS) adopted a program to incorporate technology into preservice teacher education and practicum training. Students in the program were nontraditional undergraduate junior and senior level elementary education majors. Students enrolled in a team-taught, 6-semester-hour block of Language…