Describes the interplay of goals, teacher development, and assessment in the context of a yearlong research and development project designed to integrate the teaching of science, reading, and writing processes in a conceptually based, constructivist curriculum for middle school students who read below grade level. (ZWH)

This paper reviews the popular myths and facts about handwriting instruction and handwriting difficulties, examining two of the most common problems leading to difficulties with handwriting (dyslexia and dysgraphia). The paper also provides suggestions for helping students with handwriting difficulties. (SM)

Outlines the potential for using whole language for remediation of reading disabilities. Criticizes current approaches to remediation. Discusses six principles of whole language instruction that are effective for remediation. Describes four whole-language programs that have successfully remediated students. Suggests alternative assessment…

Describes a full-time mainstreaming program that was recently implemented in a public elementary school. Discusses the changes in the role of the special education teachers participating in the program and how they perceived those changes. (HB)

Ngee Ann Polytechnic, a leading postsecondary technical institution in Singapore, offers English for academic and occupational purposes to prepare students for writing their final year projects. This article discusses the approaches used in Mechanical Engineering and Biotechnology projects. A sample exercise is appended. (Contains two references.)…

At the Arkansas School for the Deaf, high school students use electronic mail to correspond with friends in other places, including those met on electronic bulletin boards. Uses of electronic mail are addressed in the context of whole-language instruction. Specific networks appropriate for children, including KendallNet (linking schools for the…

Use of instructor-mediated student journals in college courses helps students overcome fear of writing, enhances critical thinking, and raises the level of student discourse within the discipline. The approach differs from conventional journals in that the teacher provides active guidance, in class, concerning writing process and technique. (MSE)

Recommends software to help teachers plan curriculum in the areas of comprehensive language arts ("Cornerstone"); writing and information ("Keroppi Day Hopper"); creative writing and imagination ("Imagination Express"); reading ("Jo-Jo's Reading Circus"); math ("Careers in Math: From Architects to Astronauts") and nature ("Eyewitness"). Provides…

Primary school teachers can encourage and support the desire to read in less-advantaged children by reading to them and talking with them on a regular basis, having them read simple declaratory sentences, playing word games with them, and allowing the children to experience as many types of reading and writing activities as possible. (MDM)

This paper describes experiences in teaching writing skills to elementary gifted students with learning disabilities. Journal writing and word processing are found to be powerful tools in improving student writing while increasing students' self-confidence. Guest speakers, daily reading aloud by the teacher, and field trips to enrich students'…

The article describes what electronic books are, notes how easy they are to use, and explains why teachers might consider using electronic books to motivate their students in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. (SM)

Fourteen holistic, meaning-based reading and writing activities appropriate for students with learning disabilities are described, along with the theoretical background of the paradigm. As children experiment, approximate, and discover language naturally and socially, their immersion in authentic spoken and written language facilitates learning to…

Argues for a series of classroom strategies designed to help inner-city students distinguish between violence in their lives for which they are responsible and violence in their lives cause by larger societal structures. Describes possible readings, films, and corresponding writing exercises. Describes contact with community nonviolence groups and…

Results of a British program of eight learning strategy workshops for university freshmen are discussed. The workshops focused on essay writing and test-taking skills. Regular attendees had significantly more sophisticated conceptions of learning than irregular attendees and had higher essay and examination scores. However, differences in overall…

A high school teacher of language and reading in a school for the deaf shares her growth in developing her own writing workshop model. Stressed are the importance of trust, of modeling, and of students and teachers making learning their own. (DB)