While university researchers cannot agree on a model for teaching literature, or even what literary knowing is, the training for literature that prospective elementary teachers receive is totally that of teaching reading. Such education is unrelated to reading and responding to literature. Even when preservice elementary teachers do receive…

This resource book provides specific strategies and activities for integrating middle grade elementary multicultural studies with 34 related children's literature selections. This book addresses current trends in education: multicultural studies and understanding, the whole language movement, and the emphasis on integrating curriculum areas. This…

This paper reviews literature on the effectiveness of reading-for-comprehension strategies at the primary (kindergarten through second grade) and intermediate (third through fifth grade) levels. The first section of the paper examines studies that seek to examine the distinctiveness hypothesis; the effectiveness of whole language instruction…

The 23 articles chosen for this anthology of Yetta M. Goodman's writings were chosen based on historical importance, centrality to her body of work, availability, and/or ongoing relevance to teachers. The articles in the anthology are grouped to reflect major themes (culture and community; miscue analysis, reading strategies, and comprehension;…

It is upon a positive literature-based foundation that educators must build excellent curriculum and teaching strategies. It is the job of educators to be trained to integrate the concepts of whole language and direct phonetic instruction so children have the advantage of both schools of thought, to be aware of how children learn most efficiently,…

A study determined the effect of shared writing activities on reading comprehension. The subjects, 40 second- and third-grade students from a suburban school in Mercer County, West Virginia, completed the Reading Comprehension Subtest of the Comprehension Test of Basic Skills (CTBS) for grade 2 as a pretest. A control group of 20 students were…

Factors that influenced teachers to become reformers, reviewers, or resistors to whole language were investigated with specific examination of school culture. In this study three transitioning school sites were selected on the basis of their similarity in staffing and student size. Participants from each school involved three to four classroom…

This booklet presents a description of Making Connections, a multicultural core curriculum program, and a list of recommended literature for interdisciplinary units. The first section discusses materials, using the Making Connections program, integrating relevant content areas, the stages of the research process, assessment, and making connections…

The whole language approach was used with a "well" or successful adult basic and literacy education (ABLE) group. Literature was chosen as a curriculum for which group work could be devised that was geared to all levels of students. The book used was "Choices" by George Ella Lyon, a book of short stories written by characters who live in a small…

The argument between advocates of the whole language approach and the phonics approach threatens to become so polarized and politicized that agreeing on a middle ground seems at times impossible, and the voices of reason and experience are drowned out. The debate erupted anew in California after alarming news stories about reading scores ranked…

There is continuous debate about which word recognition techniques should be taught, especially to early primary grade pupils. All learning activities provided in reading instruction should: (1) be meaningful; (2) have perceived purpose; (3) be interesting; (4) stress understandings, skills, and affective goals; (5) provide for individual…

The theory and practice of whole language teaching should be integral and simultaneous components of preservice teacher education. A number of instructional strategies and class activities can be used to provide preservice teachers with experiences similar to experiences they will provide to elementary school children. Examples of class activities…

A study examined practitioners' perceptions about the transition from a scope and sequence of skills approach to reading instruction and assessment to a whole literacy curriculum and portfolio assessment. Subjects, four consultants and eight teachers at one of the seven public elementary schools served by the Kamehameha Early Education Program…

A practicum was designed to increase the amount of recreational reading by secondary school students, and to improve students' attitude toward reading, thus decreasing disruptive behaviors in the classroom. A whole language workshop approach was implemented over an 8-month period in two high school English classes, grades 10 and 11, college…

Meant to be adapted by the K-4 classroom teacher to best meet the needs of students, this book describes Children's Own Stories, a program in which young children dictate their ideas and thoughts to adults, and develop a sense of community with their peers as they talk together, share their stories, collaborate on stories, and read and enjoy works…