A primary-grade teacher describes how she uses singing to teach phonics in her classroom. Notes how children are helped to integrate the three cuing systems of language--semantic, syntactic, and graphophonemic--as they read and sing together. (ET)

Describes a weekly meeting of a collaborative elementary school teacher support group in Ohio. Triangular conferencing, which involves parent-teacher-student and is student-led, is the subject of the meeting. Also describes visits to elementary classrooms where new ways to teach reading and writing are implemented with input from Regie Routman,…

Discusses the importance of using letter writing to promote whole-language learning. Suggests ideas and actions, and provides examples of children's literature that uses the letter format, to weave letters and letter writing into the whole-language curriculum. (BAC)

Describes classroom activities that integrate math concepts with environmental science, demography, and language arts. The lesson helps students understand the competition between natural resources and the law of supply and demand. (HTH)

Reports likely questions and criticisms of teachers and parent groups about whole language instruction. Provides responses that may be given by those who feel challenged to defend their practice as whole language teachers. (BAC)

Addresses criticism leveled at classrooms that do not use basals or English textbooks by providing justification for use of children's literature and newspapers as sound instructional materials in a comprehensive reading program. (HTH)

Reexamines the pros and cons of traditional basal reader and literature-based reading programs and those based on the whole language approach. Compares and contrasts classroom teaching methods, goals, and some outcomes. Includes Venn diagram showing overlap and divergence of whole language, literature-based, and traditional basal methods. (ET)

Discusses ways that whole-language teachers can address the concerns raised by parents and others about why they do not teach spelling and handwriting in isolation but as part of various reading and writing activities. Notes that teachers often need to explain and justify their expertise and teaching methods to individuals not familiar with the…

Describes how a first-grade whole-language teacher uses daily story time to model good writing practices with her students. The approach focuses on using the teacher's own life experiences, including the death of her high school-age son, to teach students about life's lessons. (MDM)

Presents a schematic framework of the process and merits of the whole language approach to achieving literacy. This framework, a four-part annotated chart, is used to orient new teachers and to inform parents quickly about instructional goals, mission, values, and directions being taken to achieve them. (ET)