The insights provided by Rasch analysis of results from a literature test were explored. Students in grades 9, 10, and 11 (n=261) responded to a 28-item test before they received one of three treatments: (1) direct instruction, based on research on metacognition in reading, which attempts to give conscious control of strategies used to understand…

Russian culture is very much influenced by its huge land area, peculiar topography, and harsh climate. To understand Russian culture one must know how Russians perceive nature. This paper discusses how this concept may be conveyed to U.S. middle school students through poetry. Poems about nature can provide students an opportunity to understand…

Community college English composition classes are ideal for expanding the circumference of poetry because (1) reading poetry broadens students' horizons and may lead to an interest in literature, (2) writing poetry helps students express themselves and skills acquired in poetry-writing may carry over into essay writing, (3) reading/writing poetry…

One in a series of interviews with Native American poets, this interview with William Oandasan of the Yuki tribe of Round Valley, California, is conducted by an Abenaki poet, storyteller, and editor. Questions focus on Oandasan's literary style, his cultural heritage, and his development as a writer. Opening questions relate to the role of place…

Language teaching through literature is based on the principle that literary works of art can give students intellectual pleasure. It should be revived in English language teaching in Japan because (1) it has the power to motivate students to learn a language they might not learn otherwise, (2) literature is readily available and applicable to a…

The keynote address, ten selected papers, and two panel discussions are included in these conference proceedings. Questions are presented by members of an opening panel (Brenda Bankart, Louise Bernikow, Deborah Hilty, and Doris Friedensohn) based on the personal experiences and work of individual panelists. The keynote address, "Toward a…

Intended for teachers in all content areas, this guide provides activities for teaching formula poetry (poetry written according to a defined format) in all subject areas. First, a rationale for why teachers should include writing in their classrooms is presented. Next, the stages of the writing process are explained and the benefits of formula…

A committee comprised of children's book specialists from school and public libraries and a bookseller examined books published from November 1984 through November 1985, and compiled this annotated bibliography of picture books, fiction, and nonfiction. The bibliography is arranged by age group and categories, among which are picture stories for…

Motivated by the California English/Language Arts Framework, California teachers are working toward the goal of using the integrated language arts as tools for learning in all content areas. The core of this new curriculum is to help students make sense out of a piece of literature by moving into, through, and beyond a text. For example, a lesson…

An alternative approach to the teaching of literature views the reading of a poem, short story, novel, or other literary work as an opportunity for a person to create his or her own immediate response. The approach suggests that there is no constant, objective meaning for a piece of literature, only individual responses reflecting the…

This book focuses on successful classroom practices which used oral communication to develop student confidence in a variety of speaking situations and to expand student understanding of literature through both analysis and performance. The book contains the following essays, listed here with their authors: (1) "Follow the Bouncing Ball"…

This teacher's manual contains guidelines for using art, poetry, and music to teach U.S. labor history to elementary school students. Students are expected to work in groups, conduct research on an assigned or selected art print, poem, or song that reflects people at work, and give a class presentation that stresses role playing and student…

Designed to demonstrate a variety of ways in which listening, speaking, reading, and writing activities can be built around the study of poetry, this collection of materials, lessons, and activities covers some of the most frequently taught poems in New York City ninth-grade classrooms. The document begins with a general introduction to teaching…

Exploring a variety of ways to train students to think critically within the context of writing and literature classes, this journal issue presents cognitive strategies for teaching poetry, short stories, composition, the research paper, and critical reading. The titles of the articles and their authors are as follows: (1) "Constructing the…

Writers have often used the sea as background or as a theme in writing for children since it is a natural setting for adventure or exploration and has an attractiveness for all of us. Included in this bibliography is a representative listing of books related to the seas and inland waters, individual stories and poems which have a bearing on sea…