Language Arts, Vol. 75, No. 1, January 1998

Table of Contents

Issue Theme: Writing Ourselves

• They Left Their Genderprints: The Voice of Girls in Text

  Heather A. Blair

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  Abstract: Uses the concept of "genderprints" to discuss how the writings of a group of eighth-grade girls were infused with the multiple realities of their lives as young women in a working-class neighborhood. Discusses the kinds of writing done by the girls, how choices of genre and topic reflected their gendered voice, and ways that they represented themselves.

  Keywords: Diversity, Writing, Elementary

• Children "Writing Themselves": A Glimpse at the Underbelly

  Margaret Yatsevitch Phinney

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  Abstract: Suggests that it may be important for teachers (1) to identify the social elements and pressures that kindergarten children must manage as they try to "write themselves" in an interactive environment; and (2) to identify the coping strategies children develop to accommodate their social agendas.

  Keywords: Writing, Elementary

• Narrative Discourses as Inner and Outer Word

  Deborah Hicks

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  Abstract: Presents a case study of a first-grader who began to articulate a literary voice through her appropriation of narrative form. Focuses on her active response as she made narrative discourses her own. Draws on the work of L. Vygotsky and M. Bakhtin to suggest a way of talking about how young writers construct themselves.

  Keywords: Writing, Elementary

• The Role of Genre in the Psycholinquistic Guessing Game of Reading

  Christine C. Pappas and Barbara S. Pettegrew

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  Abstract: Introduces briefly the social, meaning-based linguistic perspective of genre. Describes how written language is different from oral language. Shows the complexity of written language structure by illustrating how the "element of description" is realized in various written genres. Examines the implications of making genre a more critical concern in literacy research and instruction.

  Keywords: Language, Writing, Elementary

• Just a Little Fish Tale: Past, Present, Future

  Carole F. Stice

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  Abstract: The author uses the format of a satirical poem as a means of critiquing testing practices in the schools.

  Keywords: Assessment, Elementary

• Bringing the Rhythm of Poetry into the Classroom

  Joan Bownas, Amy A. McClure and Peggy Oxley

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  Abstract: Discusses 44 recently published poetry collections, noting ways teachers can help children deepen their enjoyment of poetry by helping them become aware of the subtle things poets do. Uses the concept of rhythm to organize the books, believing that rhythm gives poetry its feeling of movement.

  Keywords: Literature, Reading, Elementary

• A Conversation with Gloria Ladson-Billings

  Arlette Ingram Willis and Karla C. Lewis

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  Abstract: Interviews prominent educator and researcher Gloria Ladson-Billings, whose research focuses on preparing preservice educators to successfully teach in a diverse society and on improving the achievement of culturally diverse students. Explores what it means to develop a culturally relevant pedagogy and how teachers might think about community in their teaching.

  Keywords: Research, Elementary

• Editors’ Pages

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  Abstract: Available in print version only.

  Keywords: Elementary

• ROUNDTABLE ON BOOKS

  Catherine Dorsey-Gaines, Deborah Allen, Polly Ashelman, Elizabeth Carlson, Vernell Conyers, Dani Holder, Norma Jackson, Peter Jackson, et al.

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  Abstract: Discusses and reviews eight recent books for parents and teachers, focusing on books that deal with inquiry, reading and writing and classroom settings, critical discovery, and the joy of learning.

  Keywords: Elementary

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