A school principal writes a letter to one of his young teachers, outlining his philosophy and answering objections the young teacher had made to the principal's methods and ideas. (JA)

Tips are presented for teachers to write letters to parents to encourage their participation in their child's writing program, and suggestions are also listed for parents to help improve their child's writing skills. (CB)

Several examples of classroom activities that promote effective letter writing. (MM)

Special class activities for September are suggested. Historical events that took place during the month, observance of holidays and other special days, and the change in the seasons can provide ideas for launching class projects. (PP)

Children love writing and receiving personal messages. By setting up a mystery pen pal network in the classroom, elementary teachers can get students excited about writing. The article explains how to set up such a network using a computer and a word processing program. (SM)

Teachers can illustrate the relevance and power of good writing by having students write various kinds of letters throughout the year. The article describes such activities as writing thank-you notes, describing a dream vacation, getting published, and establishing pen pals. A student page is included. (SM)

A "Learning" magazine editor recommends five books for teachers: (1) "Hunger of Memory" (Richard Rodriguez); (2) "Cushla and Her Books" (Dorothy Butler); (3) "Uncivil Liberties" (Calvin Trillin); (4) "Selected Letters of James Thurber"; and (5) "The Selected Letters of Mark Twain." A…

Presents a collection of elementary level activities to teach students about Thomas Jefferson. The activities have students walk around in Jefferson's shoes, learning about his home and family life, reading habits, journal writing, letter writing, political writing, architectural experience, political activities, and accomplishments. (SM)