Teaching Language Arts: A Student-Centered Classroom » (6th Edition)

Carole Cox, Ph.D., teaches at California State University, Long Beach where she was named the Outstanding Professor in 2001. She taught elementary school in Los Angeles and Madison, Wisconsin. Students she taught in 3rd-5th grades in the 1960's and 70's and others who participated in a Shakespeare for Children summer program she created in Madison held a reunion for her in 2005 and the Mayor of Madison declared July 2, 2005 Carole Cox Day. Her publications include a textbook Teaching language arts: A student-centered classroom, 6th ed. (Pearson Teacher Education and Development, 2008), and a new book with co-presenter Paul Boyd-Batstone, Engaging English learners: Exploring literature, developing literacy, and differnetiating instsruction (Pearson Teacher Education and Development , 2009), among others. Her research has focused on children's stance towards literature from a reader-response perspective.

In the Sixth Edition, Carole Cox demonstrates how to work within a student-and response-centered approach to literature-based teaching in today's culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms.

Renowned for its authoritative, comprehensive coverage of the contemporary language arts classroom, the sixth edition of Teaching Language Arts provides a balance of student-centered and teacher-directed instruction that includes many examples from today's classrooms. The sixth edition stays on the cutting edge with new snapshots of real teachers that bring the content to life for students, and fresh, thought-provoking lesson plans and teaching ideas.

Special Features     xix
Preface     xxii
Language Arts: Learning and Teaching     1
Questions about Learning and Teaching Language Arts     1
The Six Language Arts     1
Learning Language Arts     12
Constructivism     13
Social Interaction     15
Reader Response     16
Teaching Language Arts     17
A Student-Centered Classroom     17
Standards-Based Curriculum     20
Room Environment     23
Organization     24
Resources     26
"Ripple Effects" of Integrated Teaching     27
Answers to Questions about Learning and Teaching Language Arts     33
Looking Further     35
MyLabSchool Video Assignment: Journals     35
Children's Books, Films, and Software     35
Language Arts: Assessing and Differentiating Instruction     37
Questions about Assessing and Differentiating Instruction in Language Arts     37
Assessment in a Student-Centered Classroom     37
Standardized Testing versus Authentic Assessment     39
Assessment Tools     41
Journals and Logs     41
Anecdotal Records andObservations     41
Checklists and Records     41
Inventories and Tests     41
Rubrics     42
Portfolios and Work Samples     46
Planning and Progress forms     48
Differentiated Instruction     50
Diversity and Multicultural Education     52
Students with Disabilities and Other Special Needs     55
Students Learning English as a Second Language     57
Answers to Questions about Assessing and Differentiating Instruction in Language Arts     60
Looking Further     61
MyLabSchooI Video Assignment: Criteria for Evaluation     62
Children's Books     62
Literature and Integrated Teaching     63
Questions about Literature and Integrated Teaching     63
Reader Response to Literature     63
The Transactional Model of Reading     64
Children's Stance Toward Literature     65
Integrated Teaching with Literature     67
Choosing Children's Literature     72
Genres of Children's Literature     72
Literature Discussions     73
Response Options     76
Literature Units     78
Literature Circles      91
Assessing and Differentiating Instruction     96
Answers to Questions about Literature and Integrated Teaching     100
Looking Further     100
MyLabSchool Video Assignment: Teaching with Literature     101
Children's Books     101
First- and Second-Language Development     104
Questions about First- and Second-Language Development     104
First-Language Development     104
Theories of First-Language Development     106
Language Structure and Systems     110
Second-Language Development     113
Theories of Second-Language Development     113
Sheltering and Differentiating Instruction for English Language Learners     118
Teaching about Language and Vocabulary Development     129
Semantic Mapping     130
Word Play     131
Assessing and Differentiating Instruction     136
Teaching Speakers of Nonmainstream English     138
Answers to Questions about First- and Second-Language Development     139
Looking Further     141
MyLabSchool Video Assignment: Writing Strategies     141
Children's Books     141
Listening, Talking, and Drama     144
Questions about Listening, Talking, and Drama     144
Listening and Talking in the Classroom     144
Listening: The Neglected Language Art     144
Talking: The Suppressed Language Art     145
Literacy and Listening and Talking     146
Teaching Listening and Talking     149
Questions and Prompts     150
Graphic Organizers     151
Cooperative Learning     152
Listening and Media Centers     154
Interviews and Oral Histories     156
Drama in the Classroom     157
Storytelling     158
Puppets     159
Reader's Theater     160
Creative Drama     163
Story Dramatization     166
Shakespeare for Children     172
Assessing and Differentiating Instruction     178
Portfolios     178
Instructional Conversation     180
Drama Performance     181
Answers to Questions about Listening, Talking, and Drama     183
Looking Further     184
MyLabSchool Video Assignment: Contextual Analysis and Story Dramatization     185
Children's Books and Films     185
Emergent Literacy and Biliteracy     187
Questions about Emergent Literacy and Biliteracy     187
Emergent Literacy     187
Beginning to Read     192
Beginning to Write     196
Seven Ways to Teach Beginning Reading and Writing     204
Emergent Biliteracy     217
Beginning to Read and Write in Two Languages     217
Assessing and Differentiating Instruction     226
Answers to Questions about Emergent Literacy and Biliteracy     228
Looking Further     229
MyLabSchool Video Assignment: An Interactive Writing Activity     229
Children's Books     229
The Writing Process     231
Questions about the Writing Process     231
Learning to Write     231
Writing Workshop     237
Minilessons     247
Conferences     248
Assessing and Differentiating Instruction     253
Authentic Assessment     254
Portfolios     257
Answers to Questions about the Writing Process     260
Looking Further     260
MyLabSchool Video Assignment: The Writing Process: Prewriting     261
Children's Books     261
The Reading Process     262
Questions about the Reading Process     262
Learning to Read     262
Landmark Reading Studies     263
A Balanced Approach     266
Shared Reading     266
Reading Aloud     271
Word Study     272
Guided Reading     281
Independent Reading     283
Reading Workshop     285
Writing and Reading     287
Assessing and Differentiating Instruction     290
Answers to Questions about the Reading Process     292
Looking Further     293
MyLabSchool Video Assignment: Using Assessment to Inform Instruction     293
Children's Books and Software     293
Genres of Reading and Writing     295
Questions about Genres of Reading and Writing     295
Reading and Writing Both Aesthetically and Efferently     295
Fiction     299
Poetry     299
Songs     304
Stories     306
Nonfiction     311
Informational Books     312
Biographies and Autobiographies     321
Multicultural Literature     324
Journals and Letters     333
Journals     333
Letters      334
Assessing and Differentiating Instruction     334
Answers to Questions about Genres of Reading and Writing     338
Looking Further     339
MyLabSchool Video Assignment: Writing about Immigrants     340
Children's Books and Software     340
Writing Conventions: Spelling     346
Questions about Spelling     346
The English Writing System     346
Stages of Spelling Development     348
Spelling and Reading and Writing     352
Spelling and Writing     353
Spelling and Reading     355
Assessing and Differentiating Instruction     360
Kindergarten through Second Grade     362
Second through Fourth Grade     366
Fifth through Eighth Grade     368
Answers to Questions about Spelling     369
Looking Further     369
MyLabSchool Video Assignment: Word Walls     370
Children's Books and Software     370
Writing Conventions: Grammar, Punctuation, and Handwriting     371
Questions about Grammar, Punctuation, and Handwriting     371
Grammar     371
Defining Grammar     371
Types of Grammar      372
Grammar in Proper Perspective     378
Teaching Grammar     379
Punctuation     394
Development of Punctuation Skills     394
Teaching Punctuation     394
Handwriting     397
Development of Handwriting Skills     397
Teaching Handwriting     398
Assessing and Differentiating Instruction     399
Answers to Questions about Grammar, Punctuation, and Handwriting     404
Looking Further     405
MyLabSchool Video Assignment: Grammar and Punctuation     405
Children's Books and Software     405
Viewing and Visually Representing     408
Questions about Viewing and Visually Representing     408
The New Language Arts     408
Viewing     414
Critical Viewing and Media Literacy     415
Film and Video     418
Television     422
Visually Representing     423
The Visual Arts     423
Video and Photography     427
Scriptwriting and Drama     432
Assessing and Differentiating Instruction     437
Media Literacy     437
Drama Performance     439
Answers to Questions about Viewing and Visually Representing     439
Looking Further     440
MyLabSchool Video Assignment: Mind Maps and Cooperative Learning     441
Children's Books and Films     441
Technology in the Classroom     443
Questions about Technology and Language Arts     443
Technology and the Language Arts     443
Word Processing     445
The Writing Process and Technology     448
Word Processing in Writing Workshop     449
Electronic Messaging     451
Multimedia Projects     455
The Internet     455
WebQuests     458
Hypermedia     458
Caveats for Using Technology     464
Assessing and Differentiating Instruction     465
Answers to Questions about Technology and the Language Arts     467
Looking Further     468
MyLabSchool Video Assignment: Using the Internet     469
Children's Software     469
Language across the Curriculum     470
Questions about Language across the Curriculum     470
Understanding Language across the Curriculum     470
Thematic Teaching     471
Assessing and Differentiating Instruction      489
Answers to Questions about Language across the Curriculum     490
Looking Further     491
MyLabSchool Video Assignment: Planning Instruction: 1st Grade Integrated Language Arts     491
Children's Books     491
References     493
Subject Index     511
Index of Children's Books and Films     522
A Year of Thematic Teaching     A-1