Teachers are provided with 16 activity MENUS (Motivating and Exciting but Not Unmanageable Strategies) that introduce, extend, and refine important reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. (IAH)

Ways in which to use "picture talk" (proverbs, similes, idioms, and witcracks) in language arts activities for elementary school students are described, including: writing and illustrating expressions; changing expressions; and interpreting expressions. (CB)

A teacher describes how a classroom diary, part of a daily classroom routine, was created through class members sharing their experiences with each other. The diary also served as a teaching tool in such areas as language arts and handwriting. (CB)

Presented is a journalism primer, with activities designed to get elementary school students involved in all journalistic processes--observing, interviewing, recording, planning, and writing the final product. Journalism terms are defined. (KC)

This poetry workshop has students read Monica Gunning's poem about her childhood in Jamaica, create lists of what they want to know more about, search for and share the information, then find poems from other parts of the world. The Gunning poem and lists of resources are included. (SM)

Basic concepts and skills which can be included in a K-six career awareness curriculum are outlined, teaching techniques discussed, and examples of learning activities presented. Emphasis is on integrating career awareness into academic coursework. (IAH)

A variety of activities are offered to help children develop skill in public speaking. Confidence is built when childen practice presenting themselves both visually and orally. (DF)

How to use listening to responses as a diagnostic tool to discover children's reading and comprehension problems. (RB)

Discover the treasure of learning activities in your daily paper. This 20-cent text has resources for teaching reading, language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, art, career education, and local history. (Editor)

Writing skills can be reinforced when students work together to create a classroom novel. Examples of how a language arts class developed a character by brainstorming, then wrote and revised their story to be shared with others, are given. (DF)

Music can be a powerful force in the language arts classroom and an important vehicle for teachers who want to lead students into literature. The paper discusses the power of popular music to first attract students, notes how to use other musical genres, describes guided listening, and explains important parallels between poetry and song. (SM)

Presents suggestions from two elementary teachers on easy, technology-based learning activities. The first activity involves using the computer to unscramble words and cut and paste them into a sentence. The second activity involves developing web pages of various important parks and other locations to which students can plan and conduct virtual…

Presents two standards-based language arts activities for middle school students. The first involves collecting family photographs, writing a descriptive essay based on each one, and publishing the final product using Microsoft Publisher. The second involves creating one-page autobiographies, designing a publishable product, and publishing it…