The goals of higher education often entail the development of students' character. Rarely, however, are these character development goals connected to the unique design and delivery of distance education programs. Additionally, the research literature that explores the character development aspects of distance education is sparse. Thus the purpose…

Uses summaries and excerpts from ERIC documents to define fantasy, examine its attraction for children, and describe how fantasy may be selected and used in the elementary school classroom. (DD)

The articles in this focused issue draw attention to works of contemporary literature with classroom potential. Four articles suggest new approaches for the reading and teaching of such established writers as Robert Frost; Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.; Eudora Welty; and Saul Bellow. Two other articles examine the bestsellers "Ordinary People" and "The Color…

Many students now entering college have read so little as to be classed "preliterate," making the problems of teaching the classics of narrative fiction complex. An analysis of the relationship between reading and speech implies that students must begin in childhood with a rich oral culture; those who have been strangers to discourse are not…

Describes imaginative ways to teach "A Wizard of Earthsea," a fantasy novel by Ursula LeGuin, with teaching time limited to one hour a week for six weeks. (HOD)

Offers suggestions and learning activities for the teaching of science fiction and fantasy at both the elementary and secondary school levels. (FL)

Discusses how fantasy books can be used in the classroom to provide exercises for the imagination, to allow students to see themselves more clearly, to allow them to escape, and to generate hope. (CRH)

This report discusses the opposition to fantasy, as well as the support for it, both as an activity of the mind and as literature, and concludes that fantasy literature is useful in promoting language development and literature appreciation. The report then discusses characteristics of fantasy literature, lists works suitable for class use, and…

Some children lack the framework of prior experience necessary for the comprehension and enjoyment of fanciful literature. Fanciful literature, though grounded in reality, deals not only with what is, but also with what could be or might have been. Since readers actively construct meaning by relating what they read to their conceptual systems,…

This article describes how teachers combined schoolwide enrichment and differentiated instruction models to design a fifth-grade fantasy literature unit. Small groups explored novels to learn the germane content and genre characteristics and then regrouped to refine and apply what was learned to a variety of open-ended problems. (Contains…

Designed to give children a sense of the cultural heritage that fairy tales represent, this instructional unit was originally developed to motivate eighth-grade low-level readers and was later adapted for English as a second language classes and for a variety of elementary and secondary school learning levels. Objectives of the unit are to help…

The introduction to this curriculum guide notes problems in working with students in early adolescence and discusses the "generation gap," the value of literature for students, and the importance of planning a literature program to meet students' needs. The guide then suggests ways of helping students study heroes and heroines in folk…

This guide offers a variety of teacher and student materials which are designed to develop student appreciation of different forms of literature, stimulate ideas for student writing, and develop or expand student understanding of story elements and writing techniques. The objectives and the student goals and expectations are stated, followed by a…

Designed for classes in children's literature in English and education departments and in library schools, the emphases in this book are on understanding children and their needs, on perspectives and background, on criteria and types of literature, and on artists and authors. The first part provides an overview of children's needs and interests,…

Intended to help teachers decide which books to start with when incorporating children's literature into the reading program and to show them how to use these books with a variety of readers, this book provides a rationale and guidance for using "real books" to teach reading. Titles and authors of the articles included are as follows: (1)…