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During the 2001-02 academic year, a purposive, national evaluation was undertaken of "Windows on Literacy" and "Reading Expeditions," two new school-based programs produced by the School Publishing Division of the National Geographic Society (NGS). The evaluation sought to determine the efficacy of the new materials for teachers and students. Questions posed were whether student academic performance improved when they were engaged with these literacy materials; what were the most effective practices teachers used to improve student performance as the materials were used; and whether students' affective behavior changed as a result of their experiences with these materials. The sample reflected broad geographic diversity across the U.S., classes at each of Grades 1-6, and use of books in both "Windows on Literacy" and "Reading Expressions." Each participating teacher (n=24) agreed to use at least five books from the appropriate literacy series during the study, and each assisted in three data collection activities--student generated concept maps, a written teacher survey, and extended teacher interviews by telephone (during which they shed light on their practices when using the materials). Findings suggest that students' learning improved significantly with these literacy materials and that teachers thought the books impacted their students' general attitudes toward learning. Teachers also thought that the pictures and the format of the text enabled students to personally connect with the texts, thereby making them more receptive to the content. (NKA)

This document is the eighth volume of a series designed and written for the young reader aged 9 and above. It contains three issues and covers individuals whom young people want to know about most: entertainers, athletes, writers, illustrators, cartoonists, and political leaders. The publication was created to appeal to young readers in a format they can enjoy reading and readily understand. Each entry combines at least one picture of the individual profiled, and bold-faced rubrics lead the reader to information on birth, youth, early memories, education, first jobs, marriage and family, career highlights, memorable experiences, hobbies and honors and awards. Each of the entries ends with a list of easily accessible sources (both print and electronic) to lead the student to further reading about the individual. Obituary entries also are included, written to provide a perspective on an individual's entire career. This volume includes profiles of: Sarah Michelle Gellar, John Glenn, Lynn Johnston, Shari Lewis, Oseola McCarty, Mark McGwire, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Sosa, Venus Williams, Jennifer Aniston, Kobe Bryant, Sharon Draper, Savion Glover, Jeff Gordon, David Hampton, King Hussein, Shania Twain, Mitsuko Uchida, Jesse Ventura, Ben Affleck, Maurice Ashley, Sadie Delany, Bessie Delany, Lauryn Hill, Slobodan Milosevic, Natalie Portman, J. K. Rowling, Gene Siskel, John Stanford, and Natalia Toro. (LB)

This book suggests that quality of life depends on the connections that people have with one another and their surroundings, rather than on material wealth. It challenges teachers to reexamine the purposes of education and to equip students with the tools they need to make conscious choices about living well in their own communities. Five bibliographical essays review nonfictional and fictional literature on what it means to live well in a particular place. "A Sense of Place: Education for Living Well Ecologically" looks at the importance of young people having a curiosity about their surroundings and becoming inhabitants of a place, not merely transient residents. By developing a healthy respect for the physical and social communities they inhabit, schools can teach children to be contributing citizens. "A Sense of Civic Involvement: Education for Living Well Politically" examines the preparation of young people to participate as citizens of a democracy by investigating and acting on municipal and county government issues. "A Sense of Worth: Education for Living Well Economically" looks at the influence of large corporations on the breakdown of rural life and suggests that students need to learn how to create jobs within their own community, rather than leave to get jobs somewhere else. "A Sense of Connection: Education for Living Well Spiritually" discusses the crisis of human identity and cosmological disconnection from the natural world. "A Sense of Belonging: Education for Living Well in Community" examines saving, restoring, and using local memories, knowledge, and skills to fulfill needs in the local community. An annotated bibliography of the 42 works cited in the essays contains commentary and an abstract for each work. (SAS)

This series is designed and written for young readers, aged 9 and above. The volumes cover individuals that young readers want to know most about, including entertainers, athletes, writers, illustrators, cartoonists, and political leaders. Each issue contains numerous sketches arranged alphabetically. Each entry provides at least one picture of the individual profiled, with additional information on birth, youth, early memories, education, first jobs, marriage and family, career highlights, memorable experiences, hobbies, honors, and awards. Each entry also ends with a list of easily accessible sources for further information on the individual and a current address. Obituary entries are included and are written to provide a perspective on the individuals entire career. Each issue concludes with a guide to the indexes, a name index, general index, places of birth index, and a birthday index (by month and day). Individuals featured include: Kofi Annan; Diana, Princess of Wales (obituary); Hanson (Ike, Taylor, Zac); Jimmy Johnson; Dominique Moceanu; Alexandra Nechita; LeAnn Rimes; Mike Vernon; Reggie White; Neve Campbell; Sean Combs (Puff Daddy); Leonardo DiCaprio; Walter E. Diemer (obituary); Ruth Handler; Livan Hernandez; Tara Lipinski; Betty Shabazz (obituary); Mother Teresa (obituary); Bella Abzug (obituary); Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso); Jewel; Jody-Anne Maxwell; Brad Pitt; Emily Rosa; David Satcher; Kordell Stewart; Shinichi Suzuki; and Kate Winslet. (EH)

This annotated bibliography provides citations, abstracts, and indexes for the 224 documents produced by the 16 Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) Clearinghouses in 1996. These publications consist of digests, bibliographies, state of the art reviews, and information syntheses of various types. An introduction describes the ERIC system, clearinghouse publications, the organization of this bibliography, the availability of clearinghouse publications, and adjunct clearinghouses. A statistical summary by year (1968-1996) shows the number of publications included for each clearinghouse in the series of which this bibliography is the most recent. Document resumes are provided from the following clearinghouses: (1) Adult, Career and Vocational Education; (2) Counseling and Student Services; (3) Reading, English, and Communication; (4) Educational Management; (5) Disabilities and Gifted Education; (6) Languages and Linguistics; (7) Higher Education; (8) Information and Technology; (9) Community Colleges; (10) Elementary and Early Childhood Education; (11) Rural Education and Small Schools; (12) Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education; (13) Social Studies/Social Science Education; (14) Teaching and Teacher Education; (15) Assessment and Evaluation; and (16) Urban Education. Indexes by subject, personal author, and institution are provided. A diagram of ERIC system components and a directory of ERIC components with addresses, telephone, tax, and phone numbers, and brief descriptions of the clearinghouses' scope areas is also provided. A form for ordering microfiche or paper copy of ERIC Clearinghouse publications from the ERIC Document Reproduction Service is attached. (AEF)

This document consists of all seven issues that were published of a newsletter devoted to multicultural children's literature that reflects the many cultures in our pluralistic society. The newsletter presents book reviews of fiction and non-fiction with multicultural themes for children in kindergarten through grade 8 schools. Some issues provide brief bibliographies on selected issues, and most issues give a summary list of works reviewed for ready reference. Some of the issues contain feature articles on the following themes: (1) holiday stories; (2) respect for nature in the Native American heritage; (3) ignorance of others brings fear; (4) reflections of a pluralistic society; and (5) multicultural books in the mainstream of children's literature. (SLD)

Punctuation, the original purpose of which was elocutionary, evolved a syntactic purpose as silent reading became more common. Despite the great similarity of punctuation rules among handbooks and manuals, punctuation has not been completely standardized. Punctuation practices vary from genre to genre, and the "best" fiction and nonfiction writers punctuate according to their needs, not according to the rules. If punctuation is looked at as a process rather than as product--that is, looked at as a matter of writer's intent--only two principles are needed to explain research on punctuation: (1) punctuate only to achieve clarity and/or effectiveness; and (2) use a hierarchy of six marks to show the nature and degree of separation. Systematizing the rules and emphasizing principles promises to make punctuation easier to learn. (RS)

These bulletins contain reviews of a total of 86 publications recommended for use in adult literacy programs. The materials reviewed have all been determined to meet the following requirements: currently in print; adult oriented and interesting to learners; free of age, sex, and racial bias; appropriate to the reading level of beginning readers; designed to encourage meaningful discussion and critical thinking; up to date and easy to use; and successful with learners. Each review includes the following: the publication's title, author, publisher, availability, and recommended level; the name/position of the individuals who recommended and reviewed the book; and a review covering topics such as special features of the publication, its strengths and weaknesses, suggestions for using it with literacy students, its reception by adult literacy students/teachers during field tests, and cost and ordering information. Included among the publications reviewed are the following: personal stories written for adults who are beginning to read English; stories in seven popular fiction genres; a nutrition guide; a guide for literacy tutors; high-interest low-vocabulary stories about popular culture; a structured reading, writing, and reasoning skills program, a basic math series, biographies, and a guide to British Columbia's legal system. Bulletins 3-4 include reviews of the following publications: guides to banking, human rights, and safety; biographies of famous artists; a series of high-interest low-vocabulary (HILV) novels; a bibliography of HILV materials; a guide for literacy tutors working in correctional institutions; a guide to incorporating information about Canadian holidays into literacy programs; a guide to using newspapers to teach literacy; a spelling series; and interactive typing software. Bulletins 5-6 include reviews of the following publications: a vocabulary series; a collection of poetry and prose; a guide to recovering from sexual abuse; a handbook for literacy workers; guides to Canada's government, childbearing, infant care, and parenting; a collection of human interest stories; a guide to organizing integrated learning opportunities; collections of proverbs and myths and legends; and book on Canada's provinces. Bulletins 7-8 include reviews of the following publications: a guide to content area reading; guides for immigrants; a starter pack for adult literacy tutors; workbooks covering math concepts, computation, and spelling; series of novels and transcribed oral histories; a guide to developing literacy partnerships; a collection of poems; a learner's guide to assessing learning style; and a handbook for feminist literacy tutors. (MN)

This issue of "Classroom Notes Plus" contains descriptions of original, unpublished teaching practices, and of adapted ideas. Under the "Ideas from the Classroom" section, the August 2003 issue (v21 n1) contains the following materials: Reading Poetry with Wright's "Black Boy" (David Fuder); Finding Poetry Lost in Translation (James Penha); "Lord of the Flies" and American Society (Liz deBeer); "Lord of the Flies": Building an Island (and Classroom) Community (Ronald T. Sion); Astrology and "Romeo and Juliet" (Traci Lombardo); Going from the General to the Specific with Horoscopes (Donna Isaac); Motivation Manifesto (Laura Austin); What the Dickens? Knitting as Motif (Christine McGovern); Responding to Books through Posters (Ann Grabowski); and Symbol Search: An Entry to Social Studies and Citizenship (Rose Reissman). The "Web Resources" section contains: The Interactive Raven. The "Focus on Writing" section contains: Writing for Our Lives (Carolyn Steinhoff Smith); Round Robin Writing (Byung-In Seo); Reflecting on Writing via Interview (Mary Kim Schreck); and Forrest Gump and Sandra Cisneros Teach Similes (Carol Lecren) [Reprinted from "Promising Practices"]. Under the "Ideas from the Classroom" section, the October 2003 issue (v21 n2) contains the following materials: Settings and Maps (Ray Chapin); Words, Magnets, and Poetry (Sherry Swanner); Using Magic to Teach English (Alice C. Herring); You Gotta BE the Dwarf: Using Drama to Unlock Texts (Don Leibold); Elizabethan Interactive Museum (Arlene Lewis); Bridging the Gap: or How I Learned to Use Their World to Get to Ours (Kathleen K. Thornton); and Relevancy in the Classroom: Bringing the Real World into School (Josh Luukkonen). Under the Classroom Solutions" section is: A Map That's More Than Classroom Decor (Ronda Stevens). Under the "Focus on Writing" section is: "All Answers Are Answers to All Questions" (Mark Peters); Photos Lead to Mini-Character Sketches (Mary F. Whitaker); and Vivid Sensory Description (Heather Frame and Heather Graham). Under "Excerpts" is: Teaching Writing as Reflective Practice. Under "Handout" is: Should This Character Marry? (Tara M. Baker). Under the "Ideas from the Classroom" section, the January 2004 issue (v21 n3) contains the following materials: How Things Aren't (Daniel Sullivan); Using Poetry to Enhance Reading and Writing (Alisha L. Vincent); Showing, Not Telling (Bonnie Dodge); First Things First: Developing Paragraphs (Scott Slomsky); Understanding Characters through Freewriting (Moira Collins); Character Mandala (Fran Bullington); Discovering Good Writing (Nancy Posey); Evaluating Nonfiction (Kim Ford); Multimedia Shakespeare (includes handout) (Amy Caby); Learning Centers for 1984 (Jill Hensley); More than Just the Facts: Presenting Characters in the Classroom (Lyn C. Howell); Opening the Literary Field for Different Interpretations (Kimberly L. Cooney); Facing the Elements: Short Fiction Write-Around (Kim Martin Long); and Creative Expression in the Language Arts Classroom (Judith A. Goldbaum). Under the "Focus on Writing" Section is: Teaching Writing through Court Trials in Secondary English Classrooms (Ernest Morrell) [Reprinted from the "Florida English Journal" (Spring/Summer 2003)]. Under "Excerpts" is: A Writing Question and Answer from the "Purdue Owl News." Under the "Ideas from the Classroom" section, the April 2004 issue (v21 n4) contains the following materials: The Drawer Assignment (Jill Melancon); Get Creative with the Memory Game (Heather Wright); Breakfast with Mrs. Akin (Susan Akin); Teaching Problem-Solving through Scenarios (David Bruce); Status Cubes for the Writer's Workshop (Elisabeth Babin); Carpe Diem! (Linda S. Felice); Bookmarks as a Reading Aid (Jane Long); Responding to Stories through Music (Barbara Yogan); Thinking about Reading with 3-2-1 (Maureen Dolan); Partners in Crime: Cracking Cases Using Science and English (Erik Hein); The Elements of Fiction and Dr. Seuss (Cat Lytle); "Lord of the Flies"Luggage Tags (Catherine Schluessler); and Experimenting with Tone (James M. Pedersen).Under "Classroom Solutions" is: Class Discussions (Carole Ronane). Under "Focus on Poetry" is: Nonsense Poems and Wrong-Handed Portraits (Judy Cromett). The April 2004 issue also contains Classroom Notes Plus Index, 2003-004. [For "Classroom Notes Plus: A Quarterly of Teaching Ideas, 2001-2002," see ED480259.]

Includes bibliographies of notable books of 2002, including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry; books for young adults, including fiction, nonfiction, audiobooks, and titles for reluctant readers; notable books for children; videos for children; children's recordings and software; bestsellers, fiction and nonfiction; paperback bestsellers; almanacs, atlases, and annuals; children's bestsellers; and a list of literary prize winners. (LRW)

Articles in this publication address the writing process, teaching writing, and research on the teaching of writing, and take the form of personal experience or opinion, or explore the work of others who have contributed to the field. Articles in first issue in this volume include: "The Now of School" (Rochelle Ramay); "Revising Revision: How My Students Transformed Writers' Workshop" (Jan Matsuoka); "A Love of Words: An Interview with Patrice Vecchione" (Roger Bunch); and "Beyond Blank Books and Laptops" (Julia Tucker-Lloyd). Articles in the second issue include: "The Writing Projects and School Reform: A Local Perspective" (Marcie Wolfe); "Syntax at an Early Age: A Mother Challenges the Experts" (Natalie Kramer); "My Perspective: A Response to Syntax at an Early Age" (Melanie Sperling); "Ghetto Ease" (Michael Jackson); "The Parallel Universes of Theory and Practice: One Teacher's Journey" (Beverly Paesano); "Creating Civility: Dialogue Journals in Special Ed Classes" (Elizabeth Anderson); and "In the Midst of Silence" (Kimberly Sloan). Articles the third issue include: "Happy Problems" (Kim Stafford); "Writing from the Feather Circle: Seeking a 'Language of That Different Yield'" (G. Lynn Nelson); "Virtual Reality: Evaluating Online Information" (Holly Littlefield); "Do You Remember Me? Writing Oral Histories with Nursing Home Residents" (Cathie English); and "Teacherless Talk: Impressions from Electronic Literary Conversations" (Elaine Ware and Karen Murar). Articles in the fourth issue of this volume include: "Courage and Voice: The Story of a Young Author and Her Teacher" (Jane H. Talbert); "Strange Students in a Strange Land: An Excerpt from 'A Poem for Every Student'" (Sheryl Lain); "Mi Voz Suena Asi (My Voice Sounds Like This)" (Cathy Carmichael); "Diving with Whales: Five Reasons for Practitioners To Write for Publication" (Grace Hall McEntee); and "Let's Take Another Look at the Fish: The Writing Process as Discovery" (Bob Tierney). (RS)

The 1997 edition of this annual directory contains more than 800 listings in the children's book market; more than 150 of these listings are new with this edition, and nearly all the listings have been updated. The directory provides the standard addresses, contacts and query tips, but it also offers the publishers' electronic mail addresses and World Wide Web sites. Following a foreword from the editor, sections in the book are: How to Use This Book to Sell Your Work; Guide to Submitting Your Work; Tips on Contracts & Negotiations; Know Your Rights; Business Basics; Get Plugged In! Opportunities in the Children's Multimedia Market; Showing Your Portfolio in Person: An Artist's Trip to New York City; First Books; Virginia Hamilton's Work: Blending the Known, the Remembered & the Imagined; Keys to Symbols & Abbreviations; Book Publishers; Magazines; Multimedia; Audiovisual & Audiotape; Greeting Cards, Puzzles and Games; Play Publishers & Producers; Young Writer's & Illustrator's Markets; Clubs & Organizations; Conferences & Workshops; Contests & Awards; Helpful Resources; Glossary; Age-Level Index; Subject Index; Photography Index; and General Index. (NKA)

This publication is devoted to concerns surrounding the teaching and learning of writing, and offers resources and ideas for professionals, including articles, interviews with prominent members of the field, book reviews, and brief updates on research by the National Center for the Study of Writing and National Writing Project activities. Articles in the first issue include: "A Poem for Each Student: Creating Community in the Learning Factory" (Sheryl Lain); "Stories out of School: First Grade Family Journals" (Stephanie Terry); "The Letter Exchange: Balancing Responsibility in the Writing Classroom" (Margaret Perrow); "Writing History: Before and After Portfolios" (Stan Pesick); and "A Picaresque Tale from the Land of Kidwatching: Teacher Research and Ethical Dilemmas" (Jane Zeni). Articles in the second issue of this volume include: "When Third-Grade Writers Do Case Studies" (Janet Kiddoo); "Why Ronnie Wrote about Cars" (Bonnie M. Faiman); "Sam and Ansley's Story" (Ansley Dauenhauer); "Writing for the Rest of Us" (Art Peterson); "How To Practically Guarantee Poor Student Writing--Without Even Trying" (Diane Boehm); and "Literacy and Numeracy in a Changing Workplace" (Mark Jury and Mira Katz). Articles in the third issue include: "Clicking on the Icon: How Technology Helped Amplify Some 'Micro-Voices'" (Jabari Mahiri); "Energy Conservation: The Evolution of Experimenters' Workshop" (Alexa Stuart); "Real World Feminism: A Teacher Learns from Her Students' Writing" (Lisa Orta); and "The Perils and Pleasures of Teacher Research: Excerpts from a Journal I Never Kept" (Martha Dudley). Articles in the fourth issue of this volume include: "Location, Location, Location: A Way into Descriptive Writing" (Ray Skjelbred); "Picture This!" (Stephen Marcus); "Literature in the Classroom or 'Say Not the Struggle Not Availeth" (Jane Juska); "How Enzymes Act: Skit Writing in Science Class" (John Dorroh); "Logorrhea or the Dangers of Unprotected Lex: Confessions of a Word Junkie" (Charles Waterworth); "Muscle Car English" (JoAnne Dowd); and "Creating a Work of Their Own: Skills and Voice in an Eighth Grade Research Project" (Robert Roth). (RS)