Discusses what happens when students and teachers are encouraged to use multiple ways of knowing in mediating their experiences with the world. Suggests that a good language arts program expands the communication potential of all learners through the orchestration and use of multiple ways of knowing for purposes of ongoing interpretation and…

Suggests ways that transactional learning can be reflected in staff development practices. Addresses issues raised during attempts to implement a whole-language staff development program. Contends that what unites whole-language teachers is a unique but common orientation toward instruction and curriculum and that this orientation can be reflected…

Traces the evolution of the first author's philosophy and practice to show how progressive educational practices have come to challenge cultural norms. Discusses multiple literacies, making whole language critical, learners and the real world as curricular informants, interrupting normativity through literature and the arts, and being critical and…

Principals can successfully implement whole language reading programs if they educate staff and parents; engage in effective, inclusive long-range planning; encourage sharing among teachers; incorporate flexibility and experimentation in program development; and create an appropriate program evaluation system. Staff involvement is the key to…

An elementary school located in a predominantly black neighborhood on the south side of Chicago decided it was time to restructure the curriculum (scores lagged behind the national average and interest in reading and writing had waned). The principal, parents, and teachers were given extra encouragement to use the process of team building, shared…

Since 1987, the school district of West Allis-West Milwaukee (Wisconsin) has reviewed and revised its elementary reading program based on the philosophy that spoken, read, and written language must flow naturally from the child, be used in meaningful ways to communicate real needs, and involve tradebooks. Numerous inservice presentations and…

Reviews the recent history of children's literature and its role in elementary classrooms. Looks ahead to what might happen next. (TB)

Reviews (1) A Middle School Curriculum from Rhetoric to Reality, by James A. Beane; (2) Enquiring Teachers, Enquiring Learners, by Catherine Twomey Fosnet; (3) How Children Construct Literacy, Yetta M. Goodman, ed.; (4) The New Literacy, by John Willinsky; and (5) The Everyday Guide to Opening and Operating a Child Care Center, by Daniel F.…

Explains how an experienced teacher is trying to incorporate Houghton Mifflin's new reading series, "Invitations to Literacy", into her elementary school classes. Discusses reasons for a standardized reading program, including high student mobility, younger less-experienced teachers, and a lack of accountability; and considers whole…

Exploring what it means for teachers to generate curriculum with their students and to share the responsibility and joys of deciding what and how students learn, this book describes teachers' own experiences in generating curriculum that integrates social studies, literacy, and whole language. The book presents practical ideas that teachers across…

Certain events between the late sixties and the eighties were major influences in empowering Australian reading teachers to break the basal habit. During the late sixties a growing number of elementary classroom teachers and principals were showing an interest in classroom practices that focused on children's individual progression. During the…

The pilot project described in this report involved the development of an integrated art and music curriculum model for elementary grades. In this discussion, an example of one integrated unit is described for each of grades one through six. The curriculum units are centered around literary or musical themes that incorporate a variety of…

Based on research of literature-based instruction in elementary schools that serve large numbers of economically-disadvantaged children, this paper discusses 10 factors that can enhance the implementation of literature-based instruction. The paper suggests that teachers: (1) provide extensive professional development opportunities; (2) provide for…

Examines the research on the central role of decoding in reading, concluding that the position that whole language proponents take in equating learning to read with learning to talk and their reduction of decoding to an incidental place in the curriculum are wrong. The authors argue for a balanced approach to reading instruction. (GR)

Presents key questions reflecting research in first/second language acquisition and whole language principles: is curriculum organized around "big" questions?; are students involved in authentic reading and writing?; are students given choices?; is content meaningful?; do students work collaboratively?; do students read, write, speak, and listen…