This booklet offers parents an overview of the elements crucial for a good education, with the intention of motivating them to take an active role in their children's education. The booklet's 21 sections are as follows: (1) What is an education? (2) Why get a good education? (3) What composes a good education? (4) Is communication important? (5)…

Intended for those practitioners and parents who have heard the term "whole language" but who really know little or nothing about it, this booklet looks at the learning or acquisition of language, which includes the processes of thinking, listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Chapters in the book, after an introduction, are, as…

Attention deficit disorder (ADD) is examined from the standpoint of teaching reading, and strategies are offered for teaching youngsters who are having difficulty reading due to ADD. Examples of students and scenarios are included. A definition of ADD is presented, along with symptoms that are consistent with inattention and disorganization that…

This article describes the process approach to writing instruction, examining the literature-based approach to reading and the whole-language learning approach. In whole-language classrooms, reading, writing, listening, and thinking are interwoven. The article offers ways for parents to support such approaches at home and school. (SM)

Giving teachers who are developing a literature-based program a place to start, this book provides a range of techniques, ideas, and strategies for the classroom. The book is intended for all teachers and parents interested in the role that literature can play in learning to read. The book addresses three main topics: the power of literature in…

Increasingly, foreign nationals living in Japan are sending their children to Japanese elementary schools. This requires that the children's native language be taught outside of school, most often at home. While teaching oral language is not difficult for parents, teaching reading requires different skills. Some difficulties in this process are…

This book offers pre-school teachers, kindergarten teachers, daycare workers, and parents ways to help young children begin to read and write, by placing stories at the very center of the early childhood curriculum. The book includes an in-depth discussion of the crucial pedagogical and developmental roles that stories can play in early childhood…

Noting the fragile relationship between parent participation and school reform, this book tells the story of the Charquin Program, an alternative public school program in Hayward, California, dedicated to parent participation and notable for its open classroom structure and intensely democratic practice. The introduction relates the history and…

This booklet is part of a series of seven booklets designed to introduce aspects of effective reading instruction that should be considered when teaching reading to students with disabilities. It focuses on essential skill building and teaching activities related to developing a child's ability to recognize and read whole words. The methods…

Designed for workshops or college courses focusing on professional development and inservice teacher training, this book presents over 200 reproducibles (including transparencies, brochures, and fact sheets) to help parents and administrators understand how reading and writing flourish in whole language classrooms. The book addresses the need to…

In classrooms where all children become readers, teachers offer phonics, structured reading lessons, literature reading, story reading, and writing. Learning to read is influenced by frequent reading, knowledgeable teachers, writing, and discussing books. Parents can promote reading by providing language-rich environments, reading aloud, playing…

Focusing on students who are often referred to as "at risk," this book discusses the theory supporting whole language learning for all students and describes, in detail, the practical strategies used to help these students become readers and writers. The book, through its explanation of theory as well as presentation of individual…

The guide offers practical ideas to bilingual parents wishing to teach and encourage English-language reading while their children are attending Japanese-medium primary schools in Japan. Parents are encouraged to analyze their home language environment, including both spoken and written English use. The author provides anecdotal accounts of his…

Written for parents, this book discusses current practice in preschools, elementary schools, and secondary schools. The first section, entitled "Learning," defines and discusses learning, memory, learning styles, study skills, and homework. The second section, entitled "What Goes on in Schools?," discusses inclusion,…

Recognizing that parents have a great range of options in choosing and creating an education for their child, this book is designed to help parents make an informed, conscious choice about their child's schooling. Chapters in the first part of the guide provide an overview of American education, the mainstream public sector and alternative…