Children's conceptions about literacy at the end of the first grade were studied. Children learned in one of three language arts curricula. Their skill levels were then compared, and suggestions were made for teachers to help children see reading and writing as holistic skills, beyond their functional necessity. (JL)

Noting that school activities, in general, are judged by the extent to which they achieve their academically defined goals, this paper contends that schools serve another purpose, a social one. Arguing that schools should help children learn social responsibility and prosocial behavior and attitudes, the paper provides a rationale for, and a…

A study was conducted to explore first grade students' conceptions of reading and writing, and how those conceptions may be associated with and influenced by the type of reading instruction they receive. The study was conducted in three separate classrooms, each based upon theoretically different models of literacy learning: (1) a content-centered…