US public education faces concerted attack by those bent on corporate control, privatization, regimented reading instruction, and high-stakes testing. One democratic, humanistic, and research-based alternative can be found in the theory and practice of whole language, which empowered teachers and students alike through the 1980s and 1990s -- until…

As a teacher of Bowling Green State University's English 3810, Grammar and Writing, the author is charged with teaching future language arts teachers how to teach grammar so that it actually helps their students become better writers and communicators. Because such teaching rejects the ineffective but time-honored drill-it-and-kill-it approach, in…

The author's career in professional education is intertwined with the history of language arts education in the United States and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). The author joined NCTE in the 1960s, though she was already teaching for about 10 years with a well-developed constructivist perspective on teaching and learning.…

Seikatsu tsuzurikata is a grassroots movement in Japan that has many parallels to the whole language movement, but it developed completely independently, beginning in the late 1920s. Our research into this movement was conducted in 1984 and described in Kitagawa and Kitagawa (1987). We are now updating our earlier research. Seikatsu tsuzurikata is…

Explains how elementary teachers can help students understand onomatopoeia, suggesting that they define onomatopoeia, share examples of it, read poems and have students discuss onomatopoeic words, act out common household sounds, write about sound effects, and create choral readings of onomatopoeic poems. Two appropriate poems are included. (SM)

Investigates nationwide practices in language instruction, the nature of changes, and perceptions and reactions of teachers. Finds that 85% of teachers followed a curriculum guide; teachers appeared to react diversely to the philosophy of whole language; and whole language appeared to be gaining a foothold in suburban schools of approximately 300…

Use of classic book units with gifted elementary students is described as an interdisciplinary approach to stimulating student interest. Sample activities are offered from a unit on Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn," with linguistic, artistic-creative, scientific, mathematical, and socio-leadership activities, classified as application,…

Spelling instruction for students with deafness is examined in the context of the whole-language approach. Stages in the development of spelling ability are identified, and five strategies for young writers are suggested. (DB)

A whole-language approach to science can enhance student learning. Curiosity about science leads to research, reading, and writing. An example of a two-week unit on ants is presented, in which students begin by watching the ants, then organize their thoughts, research ants, write about ants, and create final projects. (SM)

A teacher at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf (District of Columbia) recounts how she learned to use the Whole Language approach to writing instruction, to encourage student writing and conduct teacher/student conferences, and to stimulate students' reading interests. (DB)

Discusses whole-language learning in Indiana classrooms, its philosophical origin and appropriate educational environment. The article offers a set of beliefs about whole-language teaching and presents guidelines to help schools restructure their thinking about the curriculum and learning climate. (SM)

Pupils learn to read in different ways with the use of diverse procedures. Many approaches in teaching reading have been used in the last 30 years and are still widely used, such as basal reading approaches; individualized reading using library books; strong phonics emphasis for young learners; whole language approaches; and experience charts.…

Many Canadians are concerned about the quality of reading instruction in Canadian schools. Recent newspaper articles, research reviews, and newsletter articles reflect the nature of these concerns. The official instructional policy in a number of provinces as well as in a number of local school districts is based on a whole-language philosophy.…

The article explores the creation of whole-language learning, examining educational reform since the 1950s. It presents descriptions of whole-language learning, noting confusion about its definition and debating whether it is a reaction to poor reading and language arts teaching or response to criticisms of teaching since the 1950s. (SM)

This book highlights ways in which science instruction benefits from the perspectives of teachers committed to whole language. The introductory chapter starts from a viewpoint outside the classroom and seeks to identify overall patterns while the remaining chapters build from experiences in individual classrooms. This book assumes that teachers…