Through this article, we describe an instructional strategy termed "Beautiful Books." This strategy involves the creation of images and texts to be used in the development of oral and literacy skills. We explore the historical roots of the strategy in Language Experience Approach (LEA) and Whole language and consider how dictation and early…

Teacher research has a long, rich history. However, teacher research is primarily limited to practicing teachers and those pursuing graduate education. It is only beginning to be used as means of understanding the instructional needs of English learners. In this article, a preservice teacher and her university instructor describe the role of…

A bibliography of journal articles related to language experience as an alternative to traditional methods of teaching reading. (HTH)

Shows teachers who use language experience activities in their classrooms how to use microcomputers efficiently to increase students' reading and writing experiences. (RL)

Establishes five premises on which language-centered reading is based and makes five recommendations for language-centered reading instruction. (DD)

Interviews Ralph Peterson of Arizona State University about S.M.I.L.E., a group of teachers taking control of their own learning. The group was formed to Support, Maintain, and Implement Language Experience in teaching. (HTH)

Describes a study of the development of reading and writing skills in hearing impaired children indicating that both hearing and hearing impaired students can best be instructed in reading when the reading has meaning for them and with stories they choose themselves and with dictations taken from their own experience. (HTH)

Describes a spur-of-the-moment curriculum development activity involving primary-school students researching the "real" Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo behind the names of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Notes that the products of the research were shared during a classroom pizza party. (RS)

Discusses the effect of previous knowledge on reading comprehension. Suggests reading instruction methods that evoke the readers' experiences, or schemata, relevant to the material. (HTH)

Reviews literature defining the characteristics of the complex puzzle children encounter moving from oral language to print. Illustrates that, by reading their own writing, children discover the precise connection between reading, writing, and language. (HTH)

Describes a teaching method involving folk music for enriching language arts programs and developing children's library skills. (HTH)

Presents examples of young children using written language. Shows teachers and parents what they can learn from children's developing sense of written language. Suggests activities by which parents and teachers can spur child language development. (RL)

Discusses how microcomputers can stimulate invention in composition, through electronic mail, text analysis, and word processing programs. Describes two exploratory studies designed to examine the feasibility of using a word processor for language experience and sentence-combining activities in the elementary school classroom. (HTH)

In an interview with New Zealand instructor and author Don Holdaway, discusses the value of shared reading experiences with very young children. Examines children's early reading strategies and the use of extra large print in reading materials. (HTH)