Discusses two training programs and five books designed to facilitate teachers' efforts to integrate the curriculum. (SR)

Discusses some principles, considerations, and cautions for those creating staff development programs in whole language. Discusses factors necessary for effective implementation of whole-language programs. (RS)

Suggests ways that transactional learning can be reflected in staff development practices. Addresses issues raised during attempts to implement a whole-language staff development program. Contends that what unites whole-language teachers is a unique but common orientation toward instruction and curriculum and that this orientation can be reflected…

Describes the Efficiency-Based Change Model, which takes into account the complexity of the change process for individual teachers. Notes that the model is being tested and refined within a variety of settings, including a staff development project designed to support a group of teachers as they explore ways to provide whole-language services to…

Describes a weekly meeting of a collaborative elementary school teacher support group in Ohio. Triangular conferencing, which involves parent-teacher-student and is student-led, is the subject of the meeting. Also describes visits to elementary classrooms where new ways to teach reading and writing are implemented with input from Regie Routman,…

A practicum was designed to increase the writing opportunities of 37 prekindergarten children in three classes through staff development. Formal and informal surveys of prekindergarten teachers confirmed the need for more information on child development, the development of the writing process, and prekindergarten whole language. A series of…

A project was designed to help mainstream teachers in Grades 1-3 facilitate language learning in all students, but especially in those who have language disorders. A naturalistic study followed teachers participating in the project to examine what factors promote change in teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and practice. The overall approach to…

An elementary school located in a predominantly black neighborhood on the south side of Chicago decided it was time to restructure the curriculum (scores lagged behind the national average and interest in reading and writing had waned). The principal, parents, and teachers were given extra encouragement to use the process of team building, shared…

Explores the essence of whole language and the change process in moving toward a whole-language orientation. Discusses oversimplifying complexities, moving beyond a focus on practice, whole-language staff development, and concerns for the future in the context of a school district's move toward whole language. (SR)

With the introduction of the "whole language" approach to literacy and an emphasis on "across the curriculum" learning, the effective instruction of writing has taken on an added importance during the past two decades in California. Recent public demands for a "back to basics" school curriculum where the mastering of…

Outcomes of a staff development program based on the whole language philosophy that was implemented in a rural Florida elementary school are presented in this practicum report. Two surveys of 29 and 35 faculty, respectively, indicated needs for faculty cohesiveness, a unified purpose, and an update of language arts teaching skills. A staff…

New roles for teachers in curriculum development conflict with traditional expectations. Constructing curriculum involves teachers' individual flexibility and collective uniformity. This article presents a curriculum-inquiry model that integrates elements of educational practice often dealt with in isolation (instruction, curriculum, assessment,…

Based on research of literature-based instruction in elementary schools that serve large numbers of economically-disadvantaged children, this paper discusses 10 factors that can enhance the implementation of literature-based instruction. The paper suggests that teachers: (1) provide extensive professional development opportunities; (2) provide for…

A practicum was designed to increase the instructional options chosen by classroom teachers in order to create meaningful connections between reading and writing for elementary students. Teachers in the target school were experiencing difficulty in translating theory into effective classroom practice. In response to a teacher needs assessment,…

An intervention project sought to lower the grade retention rates of kindergarten, first-, and second-grade students in one New Jersey school district. During three school years, 1987-1990, the retention rate was 7 percent of the total population of these grades. An exploration of causes identified several possible factors, including: (1) lack of…