"A Focus on Professional Development" is the fourth in the Research-Based Practices in Early Reading Series published by the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) at Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL). Because reading proficiency is fundamental to student achievement across all subjects and grades, the preparation of the teachers…

The New York State Education Department has adopted the national reading goal that all children will be able to read independently and well by the end of Grade 3. Building on previous English language arts documents of the Department, this document provides teachers with additional specificity regarding the early literacy skills that students…

This book conveys practical information on the instruction of students with mild disabilities, whether in self-contained, resource, or general education classroom settings. Emphasis is on research-based special education teaching methods. It first describes general principles of effective instruction, followed by more specific details associated…

This guide, which integrates adult basic education (ABE) curriculum, job skills for Abbott Laboratories, and work-related foundation skills, is designed for an instructional program in the skill areas of reading, writing, oral communications, mathematics, and problem solving. In addition to creating a uniform process and product to promote…

A study evaluated the Early Literacy program that served 2,021 underachieving pupils in grades 1 (1600) and 2 (421) in the Columbus, Ohio, public schools. The purpose of the Early Literacy program was to provide early intervention to underachieving first- and second-grade pupils who appeared unlikely to learn to read successfully without reading…

A study evaluated the Title I Early Literacy program that served 1,503 underachieving pupils in grades 1 (1,169) and 2 (334) in the Columbus, Ohio, public schools. The purpose of the Early Literacy program was to provide early intervention to underachieving first- and second-grade pupils who appeared unlikely to learn to read successfully without…

Research papers on the relationship between oral and written language include: "Une distinction bien fragile: oral/ecrit" ("A Fragile Distinction: Oral/Written") (Francoise Gadet); "Oral et ecrit dans les representations des enseignants et dans les pratiques quotidiennes de la classe de francais" ("Oral and Written Language in Teachers'…

The articles included in this volume were selected as exemplary papers from the conference in Mexico. The goal of the forum was to provide an opportunity for researchers from the three branches of the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana (UAM) to meet and discuss research projects currently in progress at the university. The works presented here…

This publication is a resource for North Carolina teachers of grade 3 through high school in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science. It describes five different ways to use "Item Bank Testlets," the sample test questions created for teachers to match goals and objectives in the state's "Standard Course of…

This paper examines what researchers have learned from teachers about high quality instruction for poor second language learners. It begins by describing the Vygotskian notion of responsivity. Next, it describes specific practices and guidelines, focusing on: differentiating instruction; understanding teachers' responsibility for knowing about…

This paper explores the whole language approach to teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) in the context of gender issues. More specifically, this study is focused on teaching ESL to university freshman in Taiwan. The whole language approach is used for two reasons: language can best be learned when it kept as a whole--especially with…

Based on the assumption that learning to teach means learning to trust one's intuitions, keen observations, and thoughtful reflections, this book presents collegial advice for new teachers of grades three through six. The topics addressed in the book are setting up the classroom, building community, oral communication, exploring reading and…

The newsletter of the Japan Association for Language Teaching national special interest group on foreign language literacy includes these articles: "In Others' Words: How Learners Construct Reading Difficulties" (Andy Barfield); "Enabling a Reader Through Picture Books: A Case Study" (Fatimah Hashim); "Acquiring Communicative Competence in the…

Noting that enthusiasm for teaching has everything to do with attitude and a willingness to change and collaborate, this book discusses how an experienced teacher approaches teaching fourth-grade students in a school in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Topics covered include setting up the classroom, organizing for teaching, individualizing instruction,…

This paper illustrates the application of the collaborative problem solving process for academic and behavioral remediation for students experiencing low reading achievement and some behavioral problems. Unlike the traditional psychoeducational process in which the relationship between the school psychologist and the teacher is that of consultant…