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Arguing that reading and writing in school should be natural and enjoyable for children, this book is based on the Piagetian theory that knowledge is constructed by each individual and the psycholinguistic view that learning takes place best when viewed as holistic and when instructional materials for children are authentic and purposeful. The book describes the constructive nature of children's thinking, reading, and writing, and the natural development of these processes. Chapter 1 discusses a model of literacy learning and the role of teachers in creating sound literacy programs for their pupils. Chapters 2 and 3 present instructional practices, consistent with the whole-language approach, that support natural literacy development of young children. The last chapter presents final comments. (Appendixes list children's books: favorite books, poetry collections, big book publishers, books used for cooking as an extended activity, and predictable books. A 26-item bibliography and a 17-item annotated bibliography are attached.) (RS)

Reading and Teaching raises questions and provides a context for preservice and practicing teachers to understand and to reflect on the complex issues surrounding the teaching of reading in the schools. It presents real teachers in their classrooms, dialogues about that teaching, and exercises for further clarification. The purpose is to help teachers make informed choices about their teaching of reading. The text considers the different types of decisions teachers might make in the teaching of reading and the knowledge upon which they rely in making those decisions—not simply factual information about using certain materials and methods to teach reading, but also knowledge about the mind, the political climate, the broader social and cultural circumstances of their students and schools and the communities in which they teach. Reading and Teaching is designed to engage teachers in beginning to evolve their own practical theories, to help them explore and perhaps modify some basic beliefs and assumptions, and to become acquainted with other points of view. Readers are encouraged to interact with the text and to develop their own perspective on the teaching of reading. This is the fifth volume in Reflective Teaching and the Social Conditions of Schooling: A Series for Prospective and Practicing Teachers, edited by Daniel P. Liston and Kenneth M. Zeichner. It follows the same format as previous volumes in the series. *Part I includes four real-life cases of teachers’ experiences in the classroom: “Teaching Reading Via Direct Systematic Instruction”; “A New Teacher Learns About Teaching Reading and Culture”; “A Teacher-Constructed Whole Language Program”; and “Critical Literacy in an Urban Middle School.” Each case is followed by space for readers to write their own reactions and reflections, educators’ dialogue about the case, space for readers’ reactions to the educators’ dialogue, and a summary and additional questions. *Part II presents three public arguments representing different views about the teaching of reading: direct instruction, whole language, and critical literacy. *Part III offers the authors’ own interpretations of the issues raised throughout the text and some suggestions for further reflection. A list of resources is provided. This text is pertinent for all prospective and practicing teachers at any stage in their teaching careers. It can be used in any undergraduate or graduate course that addresses the teaching of reading.

The purpose of this book is to consider early literacy education and whole language from the perspective of constructivist theory (which states that human beings acquire knowledge by building it from the inside in interaction with the environment) and research. More specifically, the book intends to show that the whole language movement is part of a larger revolution in thinking about learning and teaching, and to enable whole language advocates to explain, evaluate, and improve upon their beliefs and practices on the basis of a scientific, explanatory theory about how children acquire knowledge. The first four chapters of the book describe constructivism and the research supporting it, while the rest of the book deals with classroom practices and related issues such as assessment. The book's nine chapters and their authors are as follows: (1) "What is Constructivism?" (Constance Kamii); (2) "Literacy Acquisition and the Representation of Language" (Emilia Ferreiro); (3) "Principles of Spelling Found in the First Two Grades (Francois Siegrist and Hermina Sinclair); (4) "Spelling in Kindergarten: A Constructivist Analysis Comparing Spanish-Speaking and English-Speaking Children" (Constance Kamii and others); (5) "Learning to Read in New Zealand" (Brian Cutting and Jerry L. Milligan); (6) "Shared Book Experience: Teaching Reading Using Favorite Books" (Don Holdaway); (7) "Modeled Writing: Reflections on the Constructive Process" (Maryann Manning and Gary Manning); (8) "Reading to Know" (Barbara A. Lewis and Roberta Long); and (9) "An Approach to Assessment in Early Literacy" (Brenda S. Engel). Six pages of chapter notes and references, and 80 general references are attached. (SR)

The authors of this book define theme immersion as "an in-depth study of a topic, an issue, or a question." Theme immersion is very different from the traditional unit or theme approach. The authors clearly point out these differences with respect to how a topic is selected, what is studied, and the roles of the teacher and the students. By inviting the reader into the classrooms of theme-immersion teachers, the authors show dramatically that the teacher does not impose or control ideas but is an active member of a community of learners. Personable and practical, Theme Immersion will be invaluable for classroom teachers who want to teach with such excitement and relevance that their students become lifelong learners. Teachers wanting to implement a theme study approach in their classrooms will find all the direction they need in Theme Immersion.

The basic assumption of this book is that reading and writing in school should be natural and enjoyable for children, and its ideas are based on the Piagetian theory that knowledge is constructed by each individual and the psycholinguistic view that learning takes place best when viewed as holistic and when instructional materials for children are authentic and purposeful. The book describes the constructive nature of children's thinking, reading, and writing, and the natural development of these processes. Chapter 1 discusses a model of literacy learning and the role of teachers in creating sound literacy programs for their pupils. Chapters 2 and 3 present instructional ideas that support the literacy development of middle grade students. Chapter two centers on developing readers; some of the topics covered include reading aloud, literature sets, reading conferences, book talks, strategy lessons, and reading journals and logs. Chapter 3 focuses on developing writers and discusses various aspects of the writing workshop, writing outside the workshop, and assessment of writing--only those ideas which are consistent with a whole language view of literacy development have been included. Chapter 4 comments on specific questions about the whole language approach to reading and writing. Appendixes list publishers of students' writing, selected favorite books, selected poetry collections, and some discourse forms for content writing. A 19-item annotated bibliography and 27 references are attached. (MG)

"The Theme Immersion Compendium" offers specific ideas for focusing students' inquiries and practical, clearly organized steps for exploring them.

The authors of this book define theme immersion as "an in-depth study of a topic, an issue, or a question." Theme immersion is very different from the traditional unit or theme approach. The authors clearly point out these differences with respect to how a topic is selected, what is studied, and the roles of the teacher and the students. By inviting the reader into the classrooms of theme-immersion teachers, the authors show dramatically that the teacher does not impose or control ideas but is an active member of a community of learners. Personable and practical, Theme Immersion will be invaluable for classroom teachers who want to teach with such excitement and relevance that their students become lifelong learners. Teachers wanting to implement a theme study approach in their classrooms will find all the direction they need in Theme Immersion.