Language Arts, Vol. 81, No. 6, July 2004

Table of Contents

Issue Theme: Current Explorations

• Thoughts from the Editors

  Kathy G. Short, Jean Schroeder, Gloria Kauffman and Sandy Kaser

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  Abstract: Abstract for this article is currently not available.

  Keywords: Elementary

• Morphing Literacy: Boys Reshaping Their School-Based Literacy Practices

  Heather A. Blair and Kathy Sanford

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  Abstract: This article is based on a two-year ethnographic study of early adolescent boys in three Canadian schools to understand what boys’ literacy looks like, and how it may be different from the traditional notions of school literacy.

  Keywords: Elementary

• Living Poverty and Literacy Learning: Sanctioning Topics of Students' Lives

  Stephanie Jones

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  Abstract: Primary-aged children living in poverty are faced with great challenges as they walk into school each day. Reading the world from a class-specific location that is often very different from their teachers, these children begin at a very early age to consciously silence their home experiences so as to not reveal the stark differences between their lives and their teachers’ lives.

  Keywords: Elementary

• Codeswitching: Tools of Language and Culture Transform the Dialectally Diverse Classroom

  Rebecca S. Wheeler and Rachel Swords

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  Abstract: This article shows how to affirm and draw on the dialect diversity of students to foster the learning of Standard English. Based on insights from applied linguistics, an elementary teacher and university professor show that when African American students write “My goldfish name is Scaley” or “I have two dog and two cat,” they are not making mistakes in Standard English.

  Keywords: Elementary

• Exploring the African American Oral Tradition: Instructional Implications for Literacy Learning

  Columbus M. Grace

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  Abstract: This article reveals how literacy practices based on the African American oral tradition might enhance the literacy engagement of young adolescents, particularly African American youth. Through an examination of the cultural/historical relevance of the oral tradition, this article provides readers with a wealth of literature, poetry, and hip-hop resources. Practical vignettes suggest approaches to using the tradition in language arts instruction.

  Keywords: Elementary

• Figuring Out Mystery: Young Children's Constructions of Genre Knowledge

  Jenesse Wells Evertson

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  Abstract: During a genre study in one urban classroom, kindergarteners construct knowledge of mystery using their personal experiences, various texts, and talk. Through these processes, which are highlighted in their oral and written responses to read-alouds, the children make specific their notions of ambiguity in mystery.

  Keywords: Elementary

• Principled Teaching to(wards) the Test?: Persuasive Writing in Two Classrooms

  Julie E. Wollman-Bonilla

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  Abstract: Persuasive writing is a powerful, pervasive form of social communication that is also frequently demanded on the high-stakes tests that characterize standards-based education. This article explores the question, "How can I help students get better at persuasive writing on tests without sacrificing what I value about writing workshop?" A third and a fourth grade classroom are the sites for an investigation of how the teachers’ writing-process-based instruction influences the quality of students’ persuasive writing to test-like prompts. Results point to a number of suggestions for teachers interested in teaching persuasive writing in a principled way while also preparing students for high-stakes tests.

  Keywords: Elementary

• READING CORNER FOR EDUCATORS: What Lies beneath the Surface in Literacy Education

  Linda Leonard Lamme, Danling Fu, Zhihui Fang, and Courtney C. Zmach

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  Abstract: Abstract for this article is currently not available.

  Keywords: Elementary

• READING CORNER FOR CHILDREN: Building Your Collection: New Books Worth a Look

  Lester L. Laminack, Barbara H. Bell, Patricia Bricker, Reba Wadsworth, and Kirstin Morgan

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  Keywords: Elementary, Literacy

• PROFILE: Nancy Martin and James Britton: The Language Work of Democratic Learning

  Gordon M. Pradl

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  Abstract: Abstract for this article is currently not available.

  Keywords: Elementary

• Index for Volume 81

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  Keywords: Elementary

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