Teachers should foster in children's writing the use of words with "sparkle" and "spin"--"sparkle" implying brightness and vitality, "spin" connoting industry, patience, and painstaking work. By providing creative listening experiences with good children's or adult literature, the teacher can encourage students to broaden their imaginations and…

A committee of Oklahoma educators prepared this reading activity guide as an aid for elementary school teachers to improve their students' reading skills. Described for each activity are the objective, necessary materials, and the procedure. For many activities, a variation or variations also are suggested. The activities are arranged in the…

The purpose of this study was to identify the main elements of writing that have been identified by selected professional writers and, on the basis of this record, to make recommendations about composition instruction in the public schools. The works of four American novelists and randomly selected book reviews from "Saturday Review" were examined…

This document is a partial record of the interaction between three poets, Michael Mott, Dabney Stuart, and Sylvia Wilkinson, and the students of elementary, middle, and secondary schools in metropolitan Richmond and the surrounding area. The objectives of the program were: to lead students to believe that their personal thoughts and feelings are…

In considering reasons for employing creative dramatics as part of the input and motivation for an experience in creative written expression, it is important to consider the primacy of oral language over written language, especially for children. Drama involves talk, movement, and the involvement of self in expression which is outer-directed;…

Several techniques are presented which were used to enliven secondary-school German instruction in Switzerland and to increase student interest and motivation. Classes listened to haiku, discussed the elements of the form, and then wrote their own haiku on suggested topics. A quasi-musical choral speaking performance was developed on poetry of…

This study used poems written by fifth graders to determine any differences in the quality of children's writing which might have been induced by the "broad exposure" approach to teaching poetry, the "analytical" approach, or the "non-exposure" approach. A story-writing pretest was given to 93 fifth grade children who were then randomly assigned…

An individualized reading program was instituted in several terminal classes at the sophomore and junior levels in a Sacramento, California, high school. The students read at levels ranging from virtual nonreaders to seventh grade and did not intend to go to school after high school. The program involved transforming the classroom arrangement to…

This curriculum guide discusses an English language arts and basic skills program for the elementary school grades. The program is designed to reflect the learner's point of view. The authors argue that education is not so much a matter of objectives or subject content as it is a matter of what happens to the student. Accordingly, this guide…

This curriculum guide discusses an English language arts and basic skills program for the junior high school level. The program is designed to reflect the learner's point of view. The authors argue that education is not so much a matter of objectives or subject content as it is a matter of what happens to the student. Accordingly, this guide…

Presents five strategies for helping elementary school students learn to write fiction: (1) stress topic selection; (2) use literature to teach fiction writing; (3) stress main character change or problem solving; (4) emphasize reality-based stories; and (5) encourage students to research their fiction. (SKC)

Describes a project designed to teach elementary students to write interactive stories using an authoring system called Story Tree. Benefits of the project are discussed, including the development of oral language, listening, reading, and writing skills; and problems with the authoring system, the writing process, and the curriculum integration…

Dime novels, short melodramatic paperbacks written in America from 1840 to 1910, are useful in helping secondary school students understand the slave experience in the United States. Writing a dime novel can be used as a class activity; the procedure for using dime novels in the classroom is discussed. (BJV)

Deplores the drop in publication of children's books from abroad, and questions why a culture like that of the U.S. with roots in many lands would not be more interested in introducing its children to children from other parts of the world. Recommends some valuable foreign books that Americans would enjoy. (NKA)

Encourages the use of imaginative writing about scientific phenomena and/or principles. Offers samples of student writings on the concept of succession. Includes a listing of topics which could be used for creative writing exercises and provides suggestions for classroom implementation. (ML)