The aim of this course for grades 10-12 is to develop in students their command of language through their use of it. It tries to guide the student through the actual process of composition, avoiding the treatment of the pre-writing stage and the writer's situation. The instruction material is divided into six categories (Conciseness and Clarity,…

Removing a disadvantaged student from his environment and giving him the advantages of a middle-class education may be a mixed blessing for him educationally. Yet many compensatory summer programs, including Project ABC (A Better Chance) at Carleton College (Minnesota), appear to have caused no deleterious effects. The summer programs are intended…

This teaching guide for written composition in grades K-3 contains (1) a statement of objectives for a curriculum in composition, (2) sequence charts which relate subject content for each grade to basic understandings about composition, (3) illustrations of ways in which the ordinary experiences of children can become the bases for compositions,…

This guide for teaching composition in grades 4-6 (1) objectives for a curriculum in written composition, (2) sequence charts which relate subject content for each grade to basic understandings about composition, (3) illustrative learning experiences, and (4) units for teaching specific skills. The units for each grade are "Structuring a…

The three activities in the unit integrate career education into the English curriculum and provide seventh grade students with opportunities to explore specific occupations, to indicate their vocational interests, to learn the procedures for job application, and to be aware of opportunities related to English language interests or aptitudes.…

In an attempt to explore the little-known world of children's play, and to open up channels of communication and understanding with children, the following are offered to teachers and teachers-in-training: (1) 11 topics for reading, discussion, and research (with bibliographical materials) on the playlore of children; (2) techniques for studying…

Composition teachers who ask students to express something worthwhile and then deny them a true voice in which to say it--preferring instead the stiff, empty classroom language of "Engfish"--are to blame for student dissatisfaction and despair. Teachers should begin a writing course with the proper subject--the student--who learns to express…

To provide data for examining the variables that distinguish effective writers from ineffective ones, 1821 mid-west 10th-grade students wrote three themes at 3-week intervals. From a first reading of these papers, the sets of three themes from 432 pupils, which were judged strong or weak in effective writing, were submitted to four judges for…

The main thesis of this book which describes a pupil-centered curriculum is that students should use language more than they customarily do. The curriculum is based on a "naturalistic" approach "whereby students learn essentially by doing and receiving feedback." Consequently, most of the book is devoted to guiding the student from a posture of…

A number of the axioms of tagmemics are explored in order to develop exercises based on these axioms about language structure but specifically designed to develop writing competence. Exercises for unit definition through contrast with other units; range of variability; and distribution in class, sequence, and system receive particular attention.…

These essays suggest ways of teaching literature to junior and senior high school students for whom traditional methods don't work. Several essays suggest an individualized reading program, in which a student reads selections that concern his own particular interests, as a good approach. The importance of allowing students a lot of freedom to…

This collection of 15 descriptions of teaching practices was designed to aid classroom teachers and to inform curriculum supervisors, administrators, and the general public of the wide range and complexity of activities within the profession. Two articles emphasize the place of linguistics in the classroom and clarify some of the problems of…

A planned full-time "functional literacy" course that was to be held during June and July 1971 in Ekuhlamukeni and Nqabaneni (Swaziland) is discussed. The experimental pilot project was to be sponsored by the Sebenta National Institute, the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland Division of Extra Mural Services, and by the…

The 19 articles on teaching methods collected in this seventh report of the NCTE Committee on Classroom Practices focus on Afro-American ideas, communication, and teaching in megalopolis. Specific topics discussed include (1) the teaching of reading and writing to disadvantaged children, (2) the utilization of black authors and poets in literature…

An appraisal of elective programs in the English curricula of American high schools during the last decade is presented. Elective courses are defined as programs at one or more grade levels which allow students to choose courses that appeal to them from a wide variety of offerings. The study is based on data from over 100 programs in 37 states.…