Language Arts Classes Research Articles

Challenge or boredom? Gifted students’ views on their schooling

Eight hundred seventy‐one academically gifted students from nine school districts in North Carolina were asked whether the classes they were taking challenged them and whether their schools’ climate and programs were appropriate and meeting their needs. The students generally agreed that special Academically Gifted and mathematics classes challenged them, but only about half of the students reported a similar satisfaction with their Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies classes. Consistent themes stated by the students about the curriculum's lack of challenge included a slow pace, too much repetition of already mastered information, inability to move on after mastering the regular curriculum, few opportunities to study topics of personal interest, and an emphasis on the mastery of facts rather than the use of thinking skills. Current policies of exclusive heterogeneous grouping at the Middle School level may have impacted the particular dissatisfaction of students from this group. Recommendations include the design of a more differentiated curriculum with a menu of service options and a teaching staff that has been properly prepared to deliver such curriculum.

How Big Was the Roman Empire?

This activity was designed as part of a sixth-grade interdisciplinary unit. “Seeing the World through the Eyes of Ancient Greeks and Romans.” In addition to learning about Greek and Roman geography, economics, government, and societies in social-studies class. students studied ancient scientists, physicians. and inventors in science class. They also explored Greek and Roman myths, religions, languages, and ideas in language-arts classes. In mathe matics classes, students experimented with the golden ratio and the pentagram. wrote an essay on how the Greeks used mathematics to understand their world, examined Greek and Roman architecture, and investigated the physical size of the Roman Empire. To culminate the unit, students worked in small groups on special projects, such as building a scale model of the Parthenon, measuring and creating a cale drawing comparing the soccer field with the Pantheon, creating and performing original myths or plays depicting life in ancient Greece and Rome, and constructing simple machines or demonstrations of the scientists' work in Greek and Roman times.

Use of Learning Centers, Achievement, and Attitudes of Students in Grade Nine Language Arts

The effects of two types of teaching procedures in two Grade 9 language arts classes on 38 students’ achievement and motivation were evaluated. A pre- and posttest control group design was employed. The students in the treatment group were taught five months of the regular curriculum using learning centers while the control group were given a teacher-directed program without learning centers. Pre- and posttest scores were taken from an examination requiring reading and writing and a teacher-developed questionnaire. Analysis indicated the students taught with the learning centers scored significantly better on the achievement and attitude posttest than the control group.

Using Peer Response Groups with Limited English Proficient Writers

The use of peer response groups in writing classrooms has become increasingly popular in recent years as emphasis has shifted from product to process. For the limited English proficient (LEP) student, however, interaction with peers or teacher has been more restricted. The present study investigated the effectiveness of the use of heterogeneous (in terms of language proficiency and ability) peer response groups with forty-six LEP students in grade four language arts classes. The results indicated significant differences on two measures of fluency for the subjects assigned to peer response groups; however, there was no difference in overall quality of compositions produced.

Choreography of the Language Arts Class

Choreography of the Language Arts Class

Male and Female Student Question-Asking Behavior in Elementary and Secondary Mathematics and Language Arts Classes

Abstract In this study we examined the types of questions male and female students at various grade levels asked in mathematics and language arts classes. Twelve observations were made in each classroom. Findings indicated that students in 1–12 grades asked similar numbers of questions in both language arts and mathematics. At all grade levels but the twelfth, students asked more questions in mathematics than in language arts. Students posed more explanation questions during mathematics instruction than during language arts instruction. At upper grade levels, males asked more questions in mathematics classrooms, and females asked more questions in language arts classes. The data suggest that in advanced secondary mathematics classrooms (ninth- and twelfth-grade classrooms), female students ask fewer questions than male students. Teachers were a significant factor in question asking: A standard deviation for all comparisons (gender, subject matter, grade level) was associated with large standard deviations...

Effects of Teacher Wait Time on Discourse Characteristics in Mathematics and Language Arts Classes

Ten classes were randomly assigned to a group that received feedback and assistance to maintain an average teacher wait time of between 3 and 5 seconds during a sequence of mathematics lessons. A control group of 10 teachers maintained a regular wait time and received placebo feedback. The study was replicated in a sequence of language arts lessons. The use of an average teacher wait time of between 3 and 5 seconds in whole class instructional settings was associated with higher mathematics achievement and improvements in the quality of teacher and student discourse. In extended wait time classes in the mathematics component of the study, decreases were observed in the number of utterances per unit time, the average length of teacher utterances, the frequency of teacher interruptions, failure of students to respond to teacher questions, the proportion of teacher reacting to student responses, and the proportion of teacher mimicking of student responses. Increases were observed in the average length of student responses, the proportion of teacher soliciting, the proportion of teacher structuring, and the proportion of probing after a student response. Similar results were obtained in the language arts component of the study. Changes in the types of teacher questions were observed also. In mathematics there was an increase in the proportion of questions requiring application of concepts, and in language arts there was an increase in the proportion of questions requiring student comprehension.

Effects of Teacher Wait Time on Discourse Characteristics in Mathematics and Language Arts Classes

Effects of Teacher Wait Time on Discourse Characteristics in Mathematics and Language Arts Classes

Black Poetry

It is evident that European Americans have always used the curriculum of their schools to spread their politics and culture. For the sake of group survival and liberation, African Americans must do the same. They, too, must incorporate into the curriculum of the schools their children attend, the writings, dances, humor, and music that praise their group, honor their heroes and heroines, and proclaim the greatness of their deeds. In this way we will also be able to preserve our groups's culture, values, and customs by passing them down through the generations. This knowledge of, and respect for, the art forms of African Americans will enhance the selfesteem of our youngsters and thus contribute not only to our survival but beyond to our true liberation. For example, English or language arts classes in a school made up predominantly of African American youngsters should be replete with examples of the speech patterns and delivery style and content of the oral literature of the group. Students should be required to reflect on Black slang ex-

Goal: Maxi-Listening

ALTHOUGH many educators have accepted the idea that listening is a skill that can be taught, others still consider listening to be an inborn or naturally acquired trait. In the 1960s direct teaching of listening skills received emphasis because the results of research in that area indicate that listening skills can be taught or that listening ability does improve when instruction is given for this specific purpose. Evidence also shows a corresponding improvement in other related language arts skills with the direct teaching of listening skills. In spite of recent attention to listening in periodic literature and in classroom teaching, listening still remains an undeveloped skill or one that gets only nominal attention in many language arts classes. Ironically, studies also show that the average person spends most of his communication time listening and the least writing, the inverse of the emphasis on these two communication skills in most language arts curriculums.

The Use of Quotations in Language Arts Classes

The Use of Quotations in Language Arts Classes

The Use of Quotations in Language Arts Classes

The Use of Quotations in Language Arts Classes