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Teachers need to stay abreast of the latest trends in the language arts to offer an updated curriculum. The language arts areas are vital in each academic discipline and integrate well with diverse subject matter areas. Some common trends when reading the literature on teaching the language arts are: portfolios; journaling; computerized reading programs; time for pupil reflection on what has been learned; holism in reading instruction; writing using invented spelling; emphasis on constructivism as a philosophy of instruction; importance of scientific research to ascertain good teaching practices; pupils' learning by discovery; cooperative learning; and emphasis on integration of content. (Contains 12 references.) (NKA)

The United States ranked ninth among 35 nations in an international study among students in reading, as reported by the Progress in International Reading Literacy. Standards keep going up for students in reading achievement. Literature books for children must be rewritten in keeping up with the times in a demanding school and societal environment. Children need to be motivated to read increasingly challenging reading materials. Authors of children's books must keep in mind that today's children are more sophisticated than before. To assist students in their reading achievement: the school library needs to have many and diverse books; quality sequence in reading materials must be in evidence; it should be remembered that students have diverse purposes in reading and that student purposes in reading need careful consideration; and meaningful reading materials need to be in the offing. This paper also discusses the following: different approaches to teaching literacy; bibliotherapy in literature; and the computer and children's literature. The paper notes that for students to reach higher expectations, they need to be challenged and motivated, not forced to achieve at a higher level. (Contains 10 references.) (NKA)

Reading teachers need to have ample opportunities to experience professional growth. Teachers first need to experience excellent role models in reading instruction. Modeling new curriculum provides teachers opportunities to observe, reflect upon, and ask questions about proposed methods. Literature on new programs should also be passed out to teachers so they can study the principles and philosophy. Study groups and workshops for teachers can also facilitate improved reading instruction. Instruction improves when teachers trust each other and share teaching ideas with each other. Conferences between teachers and supervisors and effective orientation of new teachers also help improve reading instruction techniques. (PM)

Multi-media instruction needs to be adapted to assist students in achieving objectives of instruction. Multi-media approaches need to stress quality sequence, and also need to provide a meaningful context for student learning. The developers of multi-media class resources should provide for diverse styles of learning and need to develop materials which motivate students. Multi-media instruction can be developed for group or individual instruction. Theories in the psychology of learning also help teachers implement multi-media materials well. Student achievement with multi-media materials may be evaluated in numerous ways. (PM)

Social development stresses the importance of working together with others in life. The home setting can emphasize social development and its objectives of instruction. How should parents assist the child in quality social development in which good human relations exist? First and foremost, parents should serve as models to children for good human relations. Also, when oral communication takes place, the content discussed should go to all in the group, not the few--it is good practice to have ideas circulate among the group or family members. Respect for others in the home setting is also important. The "feeling dimension" needs to be involved in group work, and being involved in a group may not be adequate unless a person feels rewarded for contributions made. New concepts and vocabulary terms will and should arise in home conversation and discussions, and creative thinking should be emphasized within the discussion. In fact, critical thought should be stressed, and brainstorming may be stressed. This paper also discusses attitudinal development toward others, how to evaluate the quality of human relations in the home setting, citizenship development in the young child, and morality and the child. (NKA)

Parents can help students learn science in a variety of ways. Taking advantage of children's natural curiosity, parents can take short walks with their child to notice interesting things in the environment. Parents can also help students perform science experiments at home that are related to school science experiments. In addition, parents can encourage children in observing science, such as discussing tornadoes or different types of trees. A trip to a museum and video tapes on science topics can also encourage an interest in science. Even family pets can become a source of science discussion. Parents need to take advantage of every possible opportunity for their child to understand science. (PM)

There are numerous ways in which parents can assist students in social studies. Parents can read aloud library books that deal with social studies; older peers can also read aloud, providing practice to the older student as well. Parents can relate current events to a nearby globe, locating places mentioned in newscasts. In addition, parents and students can visit historical places of interest in the community. Parents can also show students the importance of economics in daily life, the environment, and community activities, such as the election process. Students can take part in hands-on activities as well, creating models of businesses on city blocks, volcanoes, furniture from a specific time period, or maps. Social studies work at home can inspire students' interest and work in school. (PM)

The first section of this paper on the school library and the learner discusses policies and the school library. Recommendations are offered related to hours, creating an inviting atmosphere, convenience, collection, computer services, reading material selection, storytelling, and reading aloud. The second section addresses principles of learning and the school librarian. The following principles are discussed: (1) pupils need to pay attention to the ongoing learning activity; (2) pupils need to attach meaning to the ongoing experience; (3) there needs to be purpose for and in learning; (4) success in learning is important; and (5) individual differences need to receive adequate provision. Questions for the school librarian to ask him/herself are listed. (MES)

While a science teacher needs to be thoroughly grounded in science content and methodology, the science teacher also needs to be a reading teacher. Science experiments and demonstrations need to be integrated with reading in the science curriculum. Reading in science helps students with comprehension, the development of concepts and generalizations, and problem solving. Successful science teaching also includes: discovery learning; experiments and demonstrations; portfolios, journals, and tests; and individualized instruction. The content of science instruction should be significant to the students; related to society; challenging; and constantly assessed. (PM)

Students are often provided with background information before reading an assigned selection. This background information functions differently in the following reading variations: individualized reading; basal reading; big book approaches; programmed reading, the language experience approach; and predictable books. Students often pick subjects they are interested in, or know about, when choosing a book for individualized reading. Accompanying manuals provide basal readers with information, while teachers can discuss illustrations in big books. Programmed reading provides information in small increments as the reading progresses. The language experience approach contains no accompanying material, since it is geared towards beginning readers. Stories with predictable endings provide students with a feeling of success. (PM)

At the present time, state mandated testing is solely in mathematics and reading, so it behooves schools to provide the best mathematics curriculum. Adults who are deficient in numeracy face difficulties in the societal arena. Objectives in mathematics need to be carefully selected by the teacher. Three categories of objectives should be stressed: knowledge, skills, and attitudes. This paper discusses the following four sources of objectives for student achievement: those in the manual section of a carefully chosen basal textbook; those which a state mandates for learner achievement; those cited by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM, 1989); and those defined by the learners themselves. The paper suggests various ways to involve students in determining the mathematics curriculum. It discusses key ideas which students need to achieve in a developmental mathematics curriculum, as well as key ideas for teachers to use in teaching. The paper also suggests the use of teaching aids, which have been made by teachers for their use. It lists five ways for teachers to assess student progress in mathematics. (NKA)

Generally, reading is perceived as consisting of identifying words and increasing comprehension skills, but there are a plethora of additional symbols which students need to read and comprehend meaningfully. This paper first discusses reading across the curriculum, emphasizing abstract words, and then considers symbols peculiar to diverse academic disciplines. The paper discusses reading map and globe symbols, reading symbols in mathematics, and reading symbols in science. (NKA)

The reading teacher needs to be well versed in the teaching of reading, which includes different patterns of thinking in each student. A skilled reader develops patterns of thinking pertaining to content read. Identified patterns of thinking need to be analyzed and incorporated as objectives for student attainment in reading. This paper discusses reading to achieve factual content, analyzing subject matter, creative thinking, deductive thinking, inductive thinking, and reasoning or logical thinking. (Contains 10 references.) (NKA)

Student scores on state mandated tests, to be given annually in grades 3 through 8 and in grade 10, place reading instruction at the apex of the school curriculum. These standards are inherent in No Child Left Behind, a revision of the federally funded Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Students are to be able to read on the third grade level by the time they are in the third grade. Since there are penalties for both schools and students if a child should fail to meet federal and state guidelines, this paper discusses what teachers and students can do to avoid failing in the reading curriculum. The paper outlines six specific procedures teachers should follow to help their students achieve reading success. It also explains the current reforms in the teaching of reading and describes how a quality reading program should function. Finally, the paper suggests additional ways, other than state-mandated testing, to assess student achievement. Contains 9 references. (NKA)

Being able to speak clearly and well is highly salient for classroom teachers. The preservice university curriculum needs to provide sequential activities and experiences for prospective teachers. This paper suggests the various situations in which this might be done. The paper first notes that the university instructor needs to model good speaking habits and patterns and should also encourage students to present ideas accurately and with clarity in discussion settings. It next gives examples of student-led groups which become an inherent part of each class and might well serve as a model to classmates: panel discussions, oral reports, explanations of teaching aids constructed for the teacher education class, committee work in class to solve a relevant problem in teaching, questions raised by students pertaining to concepts and generalizations discussed in class, and brainstorming. The paper also finds that field experiences in preservice education can provide valuable experiences for preservice teachers. It states that oral communication is important when teaching students in the public school setting. (NKA)

Reading aloud can help students who have problems comprehending social studies subject matter. Teachers, parents, and volunteers can all serve as effective oral readers. Teachers and principals should list goals for volunteers to achieve when reading aloud. In addition, to vary the oral reading approach, students can take turns reading aloud. Different kinds of comprehension questions may be raised during a read-aloud, which include critical thinking, creative reading, and analysis. Volunteers can become more effective teachers through inservice education and by considering psychologies of learning. While classroom teachers face multiple responsibilities in their classroom, aide service provides students a chance to develop improved reading skills. (PM)

Noting that it is vital to pay careful attention to designing the reading curriculum, this document outlines the following issues: objectives in reading curriculum; learning activities; methods of teaching; assessment of student achievement; supervision in the reading curriculum; and philosophy of evaluation. Questions which arise pertaining to objectives include the following: (1) should objectives be stated in terms of performance goals or general objectives; (2) should there be a balance among knowledge, skills, and objectives; and (3) who should sequence the objectives. Learning activities can be formal and direct or can include student choice and interaction. Methods of teaching used must meet personal needs of pupils. A critical task of the classroom teacher is to be a good evaluator. In addition, a reading supervisor should work continually to help classroom teachers update their teaching skills. (PM)

Flexibility is a key term to emphasize when grouping students for instruction, since a student might be in a different group for one academic area as compared to another academic area. This paper describes grouping for different methods of reading instruction and other disciplines. The paper discusses the following: using basal readers, using library books for individualized reading, multi-age grouping, grouping in transition rooms, team teaching and grouping, the self-contained room, grouping in non-graded schools, open education procedures, and departmentalization. According to the paper, there are definite advantages for each plan of grouping students for instruction--thus (1) basal textbooks have a manual (which may be used flexibly) to provide suggestions for instruction; (2) individualized reading, developmentally, is based on students choosing what they like to read; (3) multi-age grouping might assist students to learn to work together with younger as well as older individuals; (4) transition rooms aid students to receive instruction which helps them to "catch up" with others in the same classroom; (5) team teaching emphasizes students working in whole class, small groups, and individual endeavors; (6) the self-contained classroom provides a plethora of opportunities to stress integration of subject matter; (7) the nongraded school emphasizes students achieving continuous progress; (8) open education stresses student achievement in decision making; and (9) departmentalization stresses teachers teaching in their area of subject matter specialization. Contains 13 references. (NKA)

Students who live in rural areas will almost certainly leave those areas for occupations in larger city areas when they reach adulthood. Therefore, the child needs to receive the best education possible to prepare for an unknown future. This paper discusses some of the characteristics of rural schools, especially the plethora of children living in poverty without much taxable wealth to support public school education. The paper notes some of the problematic areas which poverty engenders: food and shelter deficiencies; lack of reading materials; lack of parental interest in school activities; richness in travel experiences not possible; and not being able to develop long-term goals in education. But it finds that whatever the situation, each rural child needs to learn to read well. It points out that holism in reading may be stressed with the following procedures of instruction: Reading Recovery; Big Book approaches; individualized reading; language experience approach; and linguistic procedures. The paper states that assessment needs to be ongoing to see how well students are doing in reading--teacher observation, based on valid principles of reading instruction can be a good procedure to use in the assessment process. It also recommends using a portfolio pertaining to reading, developed by the student. Contains 7 references. (NKA)

Students should have ample time to read for enjoyment and pleasure. As a major goal of their instruction, teachers should seek to cultivate a liking for reading in their students. Reading materials available for students--library books and children's magazines--need to cover a wide variety of genres and be on different reading levels. This is truly important if students are to locate that which is of interest on their individual reading levels. To motivate student interest in selecting reading materials, the teacher can develop a bulletin board display and also tell about new books and magazines in an interesting way with proper pitch, stress, juncture, and enunciation. After discussing motivating students to read for pleasure, this paper discusses personalized approaches in reading instruction, approaches which involve heavy input from students in terms of what to read but with the teacher always there to motivate, inspire, and encourage. The paper describes the author/educator's visit to a public school in a supervisory role, observing a fifth-grade classroom of 20 where his supervisee, a student teacher, and her cooperating classroom teacher had developed a set of learning centers. It explains that for each center, there was a learning opportunities card stating what and how a student could reveal comprehension from reading a particular book. The paper discusses other programs of reading instruction which involve personal choices made by learners, such as the language experience approach and individualized reading. It also cites 10 criteria for a quality reading program. Contains 8 references. (NKA)

This paper considers the role of realism, idealism, experimentalism, and existentialism in the teaching of reading. The paper first discusses realism, noting that reading specialists who are realists desire to have objectives stated in measurable terms--in state mandated tests the tests are to be aligned with the stated objectives. In idealism, according to the paper, a person cannot know the real environment as is, but he/she can obtain ideas from there--an idealist's program of reading instruction would emphasize the following: literature which stimulates the mind to grow and achieve and which stresses ideals, values, morals, and beliefs; and liberal arts courses which emphasize student thinking in depth and breadth and which guide the learner to find the self by serving humanity. The paper finds that an experimentalist's reading curriculum might well stress the following: reading to identify and solve problems identified by learners with teacher assistance; students working in small groups to identify and solve problems; and students actively participating in learning, not sedentary activities. The paper states that existentialists believe that a person first exists and then finds his/her own essence in life, his/her own goals in life. Thus, it notes, a good reading program would emphasize: individual library books for students to read which stress alienation, dread, despair, and aloneness; self appraisal in terms of doing critical and creative thinking pertaining to decisions made; and questions raised pertaining to content read to realize the subjectivity of knowledge. (NKA)

This paper considers how the services of paraprofessionals might be used in teaching and learning situations, especially reading instruction. The paper points out that teachers need to observe each child and notice if modifications need to be made in teaching reading, a situation that becomes quite difficult for the regular teacher to determine when he/she is teaching an entire classroom of students. It suggests that the regular teacher can do the evaluating of each student's reading level, while the paraprofessional can involve the other students in purposeful reading activities. The paper finds that the paraprofessional (especially in the case of retired teachers) can assist the teacher in basal reader use, especially in developing word recognition skills in students. In the case of individualized reading, the paper notes that retired teachers might fill responsibilities of working within the framework of basal reader use and individualized reading. The paper cites nine differences between basal reader and individualized reading philosophy, differences which paraprofessionals should be aware of. (NKA)

The experience chart, perceived as a reading instruction method for early primary grade students only, can actually be used on any grade level. There are a plethora of reasons for using experience charts in reading instruction for low achievers among middle school readers, including the following: content is based on background experiences of students following the observation of objects on an interest center; content is familiar to students and now needs to be presented and read with the use of abstract symbols; students associate printed words on the chalkboard with reality on an interest center; and students are able to develop a basic sight word reading vocabulary. There are increasingly high standards which students need to achieve in reading with state-mandated objectives in vogue. The language experience approach, also called the experience chart, is an approach in teaching reading in which students dictate a story based on experiences they have had. The Big Book is another approach which can be used with middle schoolers reading below grade level. The Big Book philosophy differs from the experience chart in the following ways: it has print material written by the text writers; it has a book or text, enlarged, so that all can see clearly when they read aloud; and it emphasizes no input from learners in developing the materials to be read. Both approaches stress students reading aloud with teacher leadership. (NKA)

Leadership can improve reading curriculum in numerous ways. Teachers and supervisors show leadership in the way they decide how to teach and maintain students' attention; structure lessons; motivate students; give individualized attention; assess students; and solve problems. Reading supervisors provide leadership to students as well as teachers, helping teachers with teaching techniques and pacing. In addition, leadership is necessary in bringing about change in reading curriculum. Teachers must be knowledgeable about different methods, such as individualized instruction and guided reading, and they must know when each method is best employed. (PM)

Decision-making in reading instruction can be made by the classroom teacher or through scripted materials, such as teacher manuals. Teachers have undergone schooling and certification, and thus are qualified to make decisions concerning objectives of the curriculum, learning opportunities for students, and assessment methods. Programmed reading materials can provide teachers with ideas for decision-making. Individualized instruction lacks a textbook, and thus library books make good reading materials for this instruction. Other unscripted means of teaching reading are the experience chart approach and enlarged books for shared reading. The discussion of teaching styles raises a number of other issues, such as state-mandated objectives and testing; outside school learning activities; learning styles theory; and philosophies of education. (PM)

Literature circles generally involve four or five students who are actively engaged in cooperative learning. Learners choose a library book to read based on interest. The same titled paperback might be discussed by participants in the literature circle. Alternative suggestions for literature circles include choosing a library book on a similar topic but written on different levels of complexity or choosing a different selection by the same author. The teacher may choose one circle member to lead the discussion or leadership may emerge within the group with no designated chairperson. Discussion can center on type or kind of major character, geographical setting of the story and how it affected the major character, theme and plot, identification of figurative language, and assessment of writing style. A variety of literature types should be available from which committees may select reading materials, such as poetry, classics, folktales, fables, or myths. Following discussion of the book, involved students in the literature circle need to experience learning activities to indicate what has been learned. Multiple intelligences theory can be used to respect each student's specific talents. Journals can be used to record ideas gleaned in reading. Several ways to extend students' experiences from reading the chosen library books include developing a reader's theater presentation; engaging in an activity such as pantomiming or creative dramatics; and making models or objects to clarify meanings of selected, relevant concepts read. Learning circles give students a chance to meet up with their personal learning styles. Ten questions illustrate emphasizing literature circles procedures of reading instruction. (NKA)

As students progress through the different grade levels, reading across the curriculum needs to be emphasized because it provides opportunities for students to practice reading in each academic discipline. Becoming a good reader is a curriculum "must." On the kindergarten level, experience charts may be used as an early means of teaching reading. A Big Book procedure could also be used in teaching reading to young children. In thinking of levels of reading, it may well follow or be used with the experience chart. When considering levels of reading instruction in addition to the experience chart and the Big Book procedure, perhaps individualized reading comes next in being an open-ended procedure of instruction. An ample number of library books on diverse general reading levels must be available for student choice. The level of library book chosen to read depends upon the student's ability to comprehend the contents. When basal readers are used in the classroom, the accompanying manual has objectives listed for students to achieve, learning opportunities for learners to pursue, and evaluation techniques to ascertain what students have learned. Basal readers are graded as to level. State mandated objectives for students to achieve are now in force in 49 of the 50 states. The local reading curriculum is to be aligned with the state mandated objectives. Assessment of student progress in reading will be emphasized within the framework of state mandated tests. Teachers and administrators should be on the lookout for innovative reading programs which might assist a student to achieve more optimally. (NKA)