Suggests ways that preservice and inservice training might help language arts teachers develop teaching strategies which rely on questions to involve children in purposeful verbal activity. (DD)

Urges teachers to let students read without quizzing them about every sentence or every book they read. (DD)

Points out that if students are to learn to negotiate meaning, they must have opportunities to use a balanced combination of informational, expressive, and interactional language. Describes three teaching strategies which are important in nurturing a range of language in the drama classroom: questioning, reflecting, and teacher in role. (ARH)

Presents a questioning guide for identifying specific classroom issues, then devising a research question that can be systematically researched in the classroom. (HTH)

Decries teachers' use of questions with the phrase "tell me," arguing that this locus of authority in the classroom interferes with children's understanding of the function of language. (HTH)

Discusses how the concept of "scaffolding," adult support of children's attempts to achieve an intended language outcome, has been somewhat misused in the schools, resulting in the support of the teacher's intentions rather than those of the child. (HTH)

Reviews the literature indicating that most classroom communication is of the "teacher question-student response-teacher reaction" cycle, either oral or written. Argues that this dominant pattern of classroom dialogue is ill-adapted to real learning and presents an alternative model that values exploratory talk and writing. (HTH)

Examines materials in the ERIC system offering teaching ideas and activities designed to promote critical and creative thinking and reading. Discusses the role of teacher questioning techniques and writing to structure thoughts. (HTH)

The word "attitude" has different meanings. While some educators wish their students had less attitude, others are looking for ways to help students develop the kind of questioning, critical attitude that will allow them to interrogate and rethink what they already know or take for granted. This article describes a teacher education program that…

To encourage the reluctant reader, stories may be cut out of any discarded readers and made into individual skinny books.

Discusses recent research on story structure in terms of developmental differences in comprehension and presents some suggestions on how this new evidence can be applied to teaching strategies in the classroom. (Author)

Describes various ways of using children's questions as windows on their understandings and approaches to reading and writing tasks. Suggests that children need to know that questions are not signs of failure. (MM)

Offers selected ERIC references on the application of Piagetian theory and the use of Piagetian tasks in beginning reading/language arts instruction. (RL)

Claims that although a child-oriented classroom is organized by the teacher, the curriculum is enacted by everyone, and that dialogues in which teachers and children develop together provides the core of this enactment. (MM)