Examines the issue of breaking administration rules against certain kinds of school assemblies. Describes how one teacher was able to perform an original play under such restrictions. Presents the responses of students, the teacher, and administrators after the play was successfully performed. (HB)

A review of the literature on effects of homework for students with and without disabilities offers a homework process model, and suggests that homework policies and practices for students with learning disabilities should emphasize: simple, short assignments; careful monitoring by and prominent rewards from teachers; and parental involvement to…

Describes the design and implementation of a major collaborative assignment in which students investigate and produce written and oral solutions to a problem with a national perspective experienced by a community corporation, business, governmental, or not-for-profit organization. (KEH)

Gives suggestions for books and activities that can be used to take children on literary trips. Provides 77 annotations of educational resources for literary trips to Russia and China that cover the curriculum areas of reading, writing, and the expressive arts. (MG)

Describes the procedures for writing "Jack Tales," adaptations of the familiar folktale "Jack and the Beanstalk." Discusses how this writing activity integrates reading and writing across the curriculum and effectively heightens multicultural awareness as students try to apply the basic plot structure to diverse cultural settings. (MG)

Describes a method for integrating writing into history classes. Suggests keeping writing assignments short and simple, rather than assigning a long paper that will be a burden to the instructor during grading. Discusses journal writing, pretest writing exercises, and microthemes written on a single index card. (DK)

Suggests that using historical novels in a unified studies approach to social studies and reading instruction may enhance students' learning in both content areas. Describes a historical fiction project utilizing three novels pertaining to United States history. Concludes that the whole class instruction unified each class through participation in…

Describes the use of alternative types of poetry and affirmations to encourage self-esteem and break down barriers to learning in an adult basic skills reading class. (SR)

Describes a library research skills course taught at the University of California at Santa Barbara with team teaching. Revision of a previous course is explained; course design is described; class assignments are outlined; an evaluation of the first year is discussed; and the future of the course is considered. (LRW)

Describes the use of reading guides as an interactive technique to stimulate comprehension. Provides an example using a popular novel. (MG)

Presents examples of classroom writing activities that can be incorporated into language arts textbooks for grades two, five, and eight to encourage civic thinking on issues such as nationhood, leadership, cultural differences, taxation, and war. (RS)

Offers 10 basic guidelines that might help reading teachers who use basal readers to make more effective instructional decisions about what to teach. (MG)

Examines differences among five assignments written by both Hong Kong and United States business communication students, focusing on reader orientation, writing objective, organization, grammar, syntax, usage, and format. Finds distinct differences between students of the different cultures using the same language and performing similar…

Describes a writing activity in which students imagine how a certain land area can become a world-class tourist attraction. Outlines how the assignment is carried out and its impact on the development of descriptive writing skills. Provides student response to the actual activity. (HB)

Outlines a writing assignment for first-year composition students in which they choose a popular song and explicate its meaning both through prose and in a classroom presentation. Explains how to prepare students for public speaking regarding their essays. Discusses problems and argues for the assignment's usefulness. (HB)