It is possible to connect art and language arts using traditional Japanese art. After explaining the Japanese art forms of Haiku poetry and sumi-e painting, the article describes a project in which students write haiku on special paper then illustrate their poems with gung and shey strokes. (SM)

Reports on a two-year descriptive study of eight low-income children's writing in skills-based and whole language instruction. Finds that the students at the "top" did well in whole language instruction, and for less proficient learners, the whole language curriculum appeared to provide more support. (RS)

The whole-language approach is seen to be applicable within communicative language teaching for young Indonesian students. The goal of teaching English in Indonesia is to teach students to read effectively, and whole-language instruction allows them to read immediately. Examples of reading activities are given. (Contains nine references.) (LB)

A teacher at the Hawaii School for the Deaf and Blind recounts his experience implementing a whole-language approach with an elementary class of students with hearing impairments. The effort, focusing on insects, utilized dialog journals, word banks, shared reading, guided reading and writing, independent reading, and theme activities. A…

Offers one teacher's account of a year of process approach to writing instruction in her fifth-grade class. Focuses on the importance of not getting caught within a narrow vision when reflecting on classroom practice. Notes the crucial role students need to play in instructional decision making. (SR)

Reviews "Thematic Units: An Integrated Approach to Teaching Science and Social Studies" (Fredericks, Meinbach, and Rothlein); "Using Poetry across the Curriculum: A Whole Language Approach" (Chatton); "Getting Down to Cases: Learning to Teach with Case Studies" (Wassermann); "Phonic Phacts" (Goodman); and "English As a Second Language: 25…

This article proposes that meaning and form (the sound-letter correspondences) are both important in beginning reading, but that initially they should be taught separately. Support for this position is provided, and a two-stage model of preliteracy development is offered, with the first stage emphasizing meaning and the second stage emphasizing…

A book-centered, whole-language approach to literacy education is proposed for young children with hearing impairments. Through the context and vocabulary of a selected book, children work on gross and fine motor skills, language, speech, audition, writing, cognitive skills, and social skills. Two sample lesson plans are described. (JDD)

Discusses changes in textbook publishing, attendance at professional meetings, media coverage, and the response of the "testing community" that demonstrate that whole language has become the agenda of education. Discusses the transactional view of writing, social/personal views of learning, teachers redefining themselves and their relations to…

Describes a classroom in which the teacher has developed a sense of community through her emphasis on whole-language instruction. Describes the organizational patterns of both the teacher's and the children's activities in this exemplary whole-language classroom. Documents instances of collaboration and student choice. (SR)

This activity book includes across-the-curriculum activities with Olympic themes; a "cooperation relay" (four competitive team activities based on a cooperative learning model); highlights of African Americans' Olympic achievements; a poster on teamwork and activities based on the theme of keeping the Olympic torch alive; and a…

Presents a hands-on approach to developing connections between mathematics and other subject areas by using thematic webbing. Includes a sample brainstorming aid plus a sample web and thematic unit on teddy bears. (Contains 36 references.) (MKR)

Mask-making with simple art materials can be used to reinforce elementary students' reading, writing, and interpersonal skills. The article describes a mask-making project that connected fourth graders with language, literature, and self-expression. (SM)

Responds to an article in the same journal on the rhetoric of whole language. Provides alternative readings in the defining and deconstructing of whole language, and argues that its sense will come from the points of difference rather than from the precision of final definitions. (SR)

Argues that teachers can help students develop writing competence by stressing social aspects of language and learning. Describes the mutual teacher-student negotiation observed in two elementary schools. Shows that student writing can improve through the creation of a community of children supportive of one another's language efforts. (SG)