This book describes the special way one teacher, Jeanette Amidon, approaches children's thinking, with a particular focus on reading and writing instruction. The root value of her first-grade classroom in Massachusetts is respect for children's ideas, with the children's art and writing as visible signs of the teacher's respect for their thinking.…

In this article, I examine the implications of additive and subtractive conceptions for the education of English language learner (ELL) students. To understand how competing theories regarding the education of ELL students materialize into action, I examine select findings from one district's implementation of Proposition 227. Focusing on the…

Five approaches currently used in adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) literacy instruction are described. A group of strategies developed by Paulo Freire are participatory or learner-centered, and revolve around the discussion of issues drawn from learners' real-life experiences. The Whole Language Approach, more than a specific method or…

This revised and expanded edition of a handbook is designed for basic skills tutors. Part 1 looks at what literacy involves and why it is important. It examines previous experiences of learning that students may bring and describes a range of styles of provision. Part 2 contains four student profiles, to which the rest of the book makes reference.…

Intended for elementary school teachers and supervisors, this collection of articles focuses on creating meaningful learning through an integrated language arts approach. Divided into three sections, the articles discuss the theoretical and practical frameworks that support program integration; examine real programs, tested procedures, and actual…

This manual is designed to aid volunteer tutors to use the LEX [language experience] Process for English Reading Instruction Manual (see note) to provide survival and functional English as a second language (ESL) to immigrant and minority people. The Process employs the methods of "language experience" in response to the widely varied language…

Developed by the Lutheran Settlement House Women's Program, a community-based multi-service organization in a multi-racial, multi-culutral area of Philadelphia, this curriculum guide presents a practical approach to teaching basic reading skills. The curriculum materials, which are suitable for reproducing and handing out to students, combine…

Integrating reading and writing at the primary level is important because writing and then reading back what has been written gives purpose to both, and the sense of overall purpose enhances reading while the sense of audience enhances writing. Another reason for starting this integration with beginning students is that writing creates a purpose…

Creating a link between current research findings and classroom practice, this book analyzes, compares, and critiques prevalent classroom strategies in beginning reading instruction in light of expertise available in other countries. The book begins with a section on "Points of Departure," consisting of three chapters:…

A curriculum pilot project was initiated for purposes of helping the Acoma and Laguna Pueblo Tribes (2 of 19 Pueblo Tribes located in New Mexico) to improve the education of their children. A majority of these students were bilingual and the overall educational program did not seem to meet their particular learning needs, resulting in poor…

This guide is intended to assist teachers and volunteer tutors who are teaching adults and teenagers to read. The nature and extent of the adult illiteracy problem and the process of learning to read are discussed in the first chapter. The characteristics that are desirable in basic reading tutors and those that are encountered in adult learners…

This book presents state-of-the-science research on the components of successful literacy learning and how to target them in contemporary classrooms. The volume builds on and extends the work of Steven Stahl, whose pioneering contributions encompassed the key areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and assessment.…

This independent training manual, which is intended for individuals preparing to become adult literacy tutors in Pennsylvania, provides an introduction to the basic principles and techniques of tutoring adult literacy students. Presented first are a preface, definition of literacy, and tutor awareness inventory. The following topics are examined:…

This study investigated the effectiveness of a variety of teaching techniques, including both standard English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) methods and the teacher's own strategies, in improving the English language proficiency of 15 Haitian and 5 Hispanic third-graders. The students were administered oral and written pretests and found to be…

This handbook is designed for use by Tacoma Community House volunteer tutors of English as a Second Language (ESL) as a supplement to basic volunteer training. The handbook includes detailed information in areas briefly covered during training and specific instructional ideas and class activities. A section on getting started discusses the…