States that the beliefs and practices associated with holistic, child-centered teaching and literature-based reading instruction are being challenged at every turn. Finds that publishers have developed basals that purport to be all things to all people. Gives the history of basal reader development. Suggests that basal systems are being used as…

Progressive education, open education, and whole language can be seen as part of a larger "progressive tradition" in American education. All three of these educational movements are "child centered," challenge the rigidity of traditional school organizations, view the nature of knowledge and the purpose of schools differently…

This paper presents a historical study of three issues in education: (1) the teaching of morals; (2) teacher retraining; and (3) practices in language arts. It demonstrates that recent actions by the South Dakota legislature to ensure that children are given moral and character instruction are similar to efforts undertaken in the 1890s in North…

Reviews the recent history of children's literature and its role in elementary classrooms. Looks ahead to what might happen next. (TB)

Reviews the growth of literature study as an open-ended enterprise for student growth and discussion. Critiques new directions in literature study among children. Explains basic ideas behind the authors' recommendation for literature study. (TB)

Examines the evolution of the Whole Language curriculum, its current theory and practices, and its effect on the school library media center. The similarity between Whole Language and the Montessori approach to literacy is discussed, and the role of the media specialist in a Whole Language library media center is described. (31 references) (LRW)

Experiences from the author's education in teaching, dating from 1949 through the acquisition of his ED.d. degree, are the subject of this paper. Included are a model for reading instruction at the elementary school level, a review of problems of teaching English as a second language to seventh-grade students in Jordan, and a list of the major…

Describes current literacy practices in Australia and the history of influential approaches to literacy instruction. Discusses the unique contexts of professional development and practice that may make Australian approaches to literacy different from whole-language movements in American schools. (SR)

Discusses the history of literature-based reading programs, including the early history, growth of libraries and recreational reading, individualized reading, emergent literacy, reading aloud, whole language literature-based reading programs, teacher education, and the future. (SR)

Numerous concepts in the teaching of reading have been emphasized since the middle of the 20th century. Four such concepts are the Initial Teaching Alphabet (ITA), traditional linguistic procedures, rebus, and programmed reading. Each has advantages and serious disadvantages. ITA stressed a rather consistent sound/symbol relationship, but pupils…

Outlines the most important 20th century developments in reading instruction for young children, analyzing why an approach was tried, and presenting results of these instructional efforts. It is concluded that the current perspective that seems to meet the needs of most children is that of emergent literacy. (SLD)

Examines the history of California's reading program, reviewing its change to a literature-based approach and then back again to a phonetic- or skill-based one. Reviews key factors influencing California policy and speculates about the future of the state's reading program. (TB)

Gives a history of the whole language movement. Looks at the early use of the term "whole language." Explores influences from philosophy, psychology, linguistics, and education on development of whole language. Discusses influences from early educational movements in the U.S., England, and New Zealand. (Author/BB)

The wealth of information gleaned from reading research both past and present needs to be applied to a practical eclectic reading methodology. First, an emergent instruction model needs to be created that takes into account the immediate interests and needs of the learner. This model should recognize that learning is a transaction, with the…