Schools cannot change the language of children; the entire social structure is involved, particularly our patterns of social mobility and the values of lower class culture. At the early elementary level, children should be encouraged to use their own language to the fullest extent. Reading instruction for these youngsters should concern characters…

In an attempt to explore alternatives to the use of standardized tests, the Maryland Alternative Accountability Pilot Project (MAAPP) was launched to allow each participating school to design and implement an accountability plan which would satisfy the requirements of the Maryland Educational Accountability Act. The MAAPP was evaluated using data…

This handbook is a practical aid intended to help the tutor of adult illiterates assess the student's needs, evaluate his progress, and plan a program which will assist him in reaching the level of functional literacy (i.e., the ability to develop reading skills and vocabulary, using reference books, without outside help). Evaluation and lesson…

This report analyzes a test in Hebrew phonetic reading administered to students of the junior high school at Congregation Beth Yeshurun in April and May 1975. There was a progressive improvement in reading rate in each grade: Junior High 1 students averaged 38.7 words per minute; Junior High 2 students averaged 47.3 words per minute; and Junior…

This paper describes two methods of EST (English for Science and Technology) paragraph development: rhetorical process development and rhetorical function-shift development. A series of hypotheses set up to account for explicit and implicit information in some EST function-shift paragraphs that students have had difficulty learning to understand…

The Spanish Native Language Arts program at Sarah J. Hale High School (New York) integrates the study of reading, writing, and vocabulary with the study of texts that present cultural, literary, and artistic achievements of Hispanic cultures. (CB)

Affective reading instruction teaches mildly handicapped children to read by improving their attitudes toward reading through oral and silent reading of children's literature. The paper outlines steps involved in program implementation, reading activities used in conjunction with skill training, parent involvement, use of extrinsic rewards,…

Describes a teaching unit for junior high school content area classes that is intended to provide students with effective strategies for reading nonfiction. The unit involves independent reading, research, and writing activities which culminate in the publication of student-written nonfiction books on topics of the student's choice. (SKC)

Suggests that removing "junk curriculum," including grammar drills, workbooks, and recitation from the classroom, and instead focusing on writing, reading, listening, and thinking, will improve teacher and student motivation. (JC)

Evaluates the experience of participating in an Early Literacy Inservice Course (ELIC) in Australia two years after the course. Discusses early problems with scheduling and parent expectations, and shows how reading and writing instruction adapted to the problems while maintaining the process writing approach. (SKC)

Defines story grammar, reviews pertinent research, and describes classroom activities based on research findings. (NKA)

Urges education systems and schools to make special efforts to inform and work with parents in the establishment of a literacy assessment program so that children with special needs in literacy could receive as much attention as those who achieve. (NKA)

Offers a comprehensive set of suggestions for organizing English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. Covers topics from teacher training, and curriculum design to student placement, selecting ESL materials, and using human resources. Concludes with a brief list of sources for ESL materials and information. (MM)

In recent years there have been several attempts at integrating the research on reading. Snow, Burns, and Griffin (1998) delineated three areas of knowledge that, if appropriately dealt with, will prevent reading difficulties: knowledge of the alphabetic principle, fluency, and comprehension. Snow, Burns, and Griffin suggest that these areas…

The rapid increase of culturally diverse populations with special needs in the United States has important implications for delivering grade-level, standards-based instruction to English language learners with Individualized Education Programs (ELL/IEP students). One of the major challenges in both special education and bilingual education is the…