The reading experiences and interests of junior school children

David Wray taught in primary schools for several years and is now Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of Exeter. He was President of the United Kingdom Reading Association for 1992–93 and is editor of the association's journalReading. He has written and edited many books on aspects of literacy development.     

Teaching poetry

The two articles which follow suggest ways in which teachers can encourage young readers to read poetry with greater pleasure and understanding. The articles complement each other, not least because Andrew Stibbs had a hand in both of them. The first piece discusses various approaches with illustrative detail; the second provides a list of suggestions.Andrew Stibbs taught in English secondary schools for fifteen years and is now a Lecturer in Education at the University of Leeds. He has published articles on English teaching and on children's literature (some of them inCle), poems, andAssessing Children's Language (Ward Lock Educational, for the National Association for the Teaching of English).     

Holiday Work: On Writing for Children and for the Academy

There are numerous academics who have also been novelists, including several prominent writers of children’s literature. Yet the relationship between academic writing and the writing of fiction has not been systematically explored, nor have the kinds of knowledge gained from the experience of writing fiction always been easy to incorporate into the scholarly and institutional contexts of academic criticism. The author discusses some of the ways in which academic and fiction writing can complement and inform each other, drawing on his own experience in both fields. He also argues that ‘the act of writing’ needs to be far more thoroughly integrated into English studies at both a practical and a theoretical level. Charles Butler was a fiction writer before he was an academic, writing his first novel before he went to London University to study English Literature. He readily admits that his first and second novels remain deservedly unpublished, the influence of other authors hanging too heavily over them. The Darkling (1997) was the first of his six fantasy novels published to date and, as he relates in this article, he has also written a number of critical works. As Charles is one of that rare breed of writers who have managed to combine these two careers (though he has some illustrious precursors, in Tolkien, of course, C.S. Lewis and Ursula Le Guin), we invited him to share his views on both the rewards and possible pitfalls of trying to keep both activities buoyant. Charles Butler is a Senior Lecturer at the University of the West of England, Bristol, where he specializes in children’s literature. He is author of Four British Fantasists: Place and Culture in the Children’s Fantasies of Penelope Lively, Alan Garner, Diana Wynne Jones, and Susan Cooper (Scarecrow/ChLA, 2006), and editor of Teaching Children’s Fiction (Palgrave Macmillan, 2006). He is also the author of six children’s fantasy novels, of which the most recent are Death of a Ghost (HarperCollins, 2006) and The Lurkers (Usborne, 2006). His web site is http://www.charlesbutler.co.uk     

Getting lost in a book: The gnomes and the reader in BB'sLittle Grey Men novels

BB is the pseudonym of the English writer and naturalist Denys James Watkins-Pitchford. He was born in Lamport, Northamptonshire, in 1905 (his father was Rector of this small village), and he still lives in the county. He was educated privately and studied art both in Paris and at the Royal College of Art in London. His accomplished drawings and scraper-board illustrations are a feature of his books. BB's adult and children's books are marked by his extensive knowledge and love of the English countryside; Wild Lone(1938), the story of a fox in the fox-hunting country of Northamptonshire, and Manka(1939), which traces the life of a wild goose, were followed in 1942 by The Little Grey Men,which won the Library Association Carnegie Medal. Its sequel, The Little Grey Men Go Down the Bright Stream,was published in 1948. After seventeen years as Art Master at Rugby School, BB became a freelance author and illustrator in 1947. His autobiography, A Child Alone(1978) is only one of a number of more recent books which show him still writing, as evocatively and penetratingly as ever. Christopher Ringrose is Principal Lecturer in English and American Studies at Nene College, Northampton. He has published articles on Canadian poetry, literary criticism, the work of Gerard Manley Hopkins, and the nature books of BB.     

Evaluating university education: Graduates give their views

Conclusion The graduates' evaluation of the evaluation system makes it clear that in their view the assessment of knowledge acquired is not a way of improving training. The evaluation carried out is very narrow, covering few fields. Basically, it deals only with the acquisition by students of the material and ideas transmitted in courses. It is not always objective, and the pass system in force gives precedence to quantity over quality. It gives an illusory picture of training and success. Original language: French Farid Boubekeur (Algeria) Lecturer in educational sciences at the University of Constantine. Holds doctorates from the Strasbourg Institute of Human Sciences (France) and the Sophia Antipolis University at Nice (France). Chair of the Science Council of the Institute of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Constantine. His research deals with higher education problems, the role of social actors in academic failure and the structural analysis of discourse as educational theory and method. He is the author of several articles on education recently published in educational journals. This article is taken from a report based on an activity financed as part of the study programme of African Universities on the Management of Higher Education in Africa, a special project of the Association of African Universities. The study programme was financed by the Netherlands Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Swiss Agency for International Co-operation for Development. Neither the Association nor the providers of funds are in any way responsible for the views expressed here.     

The balanced equation to training chemistry ITAs

In an effort to meet the challenge of preparing new international graduate students in chemistry for assignments as teaching assistants (TAs), an innovative training program was designed which incorporated the collaborative efforts of language, pedagogy, and subject matter specialists. This paper describes the approach taken in providing discipline-specific training for new international TAs (ITAs) by providing the rationale and curriculum for such a program and describing the implementation of this program through the academic year. The paper concludes by describing the results of the project on those ITAs who participated and the benefits and limitations of using this approach.Mark W. Tanner obtained his Ph.D. (1991) in Educational Linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania. He is currently, Coordinator of the International Teaching Assistant Program at the University of Washington. Sara Selfe obtained her Ph.D. (1984) in Organic Chemistry at the University of Washington. She is currently Senior Lecturer in the Chemistry Department at the University of Washington and is working to improve the opportunities for Native Americans in the sciences. Deborah Wiegand obtained her Ph.D. (1990) in Analytical Chemistry at Northern Illinois University. Currently she lectures in the Chemistry Department and is Director of the Women in Science Program at the University of Washington.This article previously was accepted for publication in Lewis, K.G. (Ed.). (1993).The TA experience: Preparing for multiple roles. Stillwater, OK: New Forums Press.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book Review in this article: Calkins, Lucy McCormick: The Art of Teaching Writing (1986). Newkirk, Thomas; Attwell, Nancie (eds): Understanding Writing (2nd edn. 1986) Heinemann, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Hansen, J.; Newkirk, T.; Graves, D.: Breaking Ground: Teachers Relate Reading and Writing in the Elementary School Hansen, Jane: When Writers Read Suzanne Wenman, Principal Lecturer Bissex, Glenda L. and Bullock, Richard H. (Ed): Seeing for Ourselves. Barbara Pym is an advisory teacher for Language with Essex Education Authority. Marshall, Margaret R.: An Introduction to the World of Children's Books, 2nd Edition. Elizabeth Cripps teaches at the Essex Institute of Higher Education. Christopher, John: When the Tripods Came. Gary Hemming is a pupil at Simon de Montfort Middle School in Hereford and Worcester.     

A Journey Backwards: History Through Style in Children’s Fiction

A & C Black’s Flashbacks series invites its readers to “Read a Flashback...take a journey backwards in time”. There are several ways in which children’s fiction has encouraged its readers to engage with and care about history: through the presence of ghosts, through frame stories, time travel, or simply setting the narrative in the past. However, modern critical theory has questioned the validity of traditional modes of the genre. This paper defends historical fiction for children by arguing that, whatever narrative strategy is used, such writing stands or falls through its evocation of a historical sensibility—or what Raymond Williams calls a ‘structure of feeling’. This is achieved through elements of style, both in the representation of dialogue and thought. Pastiche, sometimes thought of as an unsatisfactory feature of contemporary culture, can often perform a similar evocative function. The paper is based on close readings of Alan Garner’s The Stone Book from 1976, and 21st century fiction by Kevin Crossley-Holland, Kate Pennington and Paul Bajoria. If these books do not overtly use the techniques of “historiographic metafiction”, it may be because awareness of historiography is implicit in the very texture of their writing. Christopher Ringrose is Principal Lecturer in English at the University of Northampton, and Head of Learning and Teaching in the Arts. He is an Editor of The Journal of Postcolonial Writing, and has published on Canadian literature, literary theory, eighteenth-century literature, and autobiography, as well as writing a study of the novelist Ben Okri, published in 2006. For CLE, he wrote on Lying in Children’s Fiction in Volume 21 No.3 (July 2006).     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book Reviewed in this article: Melling, O. R.: The Singing Stone (1988). Chapman, L. John: Reading: from 5—11 years (1987). Tuman, Myron C: A Preface to Literacy: An Inquiry into Pedagogy, Practice, and Progress (August, 1987). Thorpe, Dina: Reading for Fun: A study of how parents and libraries encouraged children aged 9—12 to read for enjoyment. Oakhill, Jane & Garnham, Alan: Becoming a Skilled Reader (1988). Luke, Allan: Literacy, Textbooks and Ideology: Postwar Literacy Instruction and the Mythology of Dick and Jane (June 1988). Janet Brennan is a Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy at the West Glamorgan Institute of Higher Education. White, D.: Books Before Five (1984). Calkins, L. M. Lessons from a Child (1983).     

The Contribution of the Competency-based Approach to Education for all in Cameroon

Taking place in a context where national policy is concerned about Education for All (EFA), where the educational provision to satisfy political, economic and social demands for a changing world falls well below the minimal requirements, and where international organizations demand signs of more significant progress, this article presents in an analytical manner the contribution made by the competency-based approach to EFA in Cameroon. In fact, the introduction of this approach in an effort to tackle primary school repetition led to remarkable results including not only an improvement in classroom practice with teaching/learning experiences that take into account the principles of the competency-based approach within the provision of remedial teaching, but also by the significant positive contribution towards the achievement of EFA in general and a more effective and equitable school in particular. This analysis ends with a presentation of the implications of the widespread introduction of these positive effects. Original language: French J.C. Bipoupout (Cameroon) Doctorate in Educational Sciences. National education inspector at the Ministry of Basic Education. Lecturer in Educational Sciences at the University of Yaoundé 1, after more than two decades of teaching in primary, secondary and teacher training establishments. Since 2001, member of the Multilateral Pool of French-speaking educational sciences experts of the Organization Internationale de la Francophonie. He contributed to the development of the competency-based approach in Cameroon and in other countries. Currently engaged in research on the pedagogy of integration. E-mail: bebey1260@yahoo.fr.     

Education and structural adjustment

His publications include Economics of Inequality in Education (Sage, 1987), Educational Finances in South Asia (UNCRD, 1988), Educational Planning at Grass-roots (Ashish, 1992), and Education for Development in Asia (Sage, in press). He has also taught at the universities of Delhi and Virginia, and worked at the World Bank.     

Buchi Emecheta's The Bride Price: A nondidactic Nigerian youth novel

Osayimwense Osa teaches at the Bendel State University, Ekpoma, Nigeria. He previously taught at the University of Houston (Texas). His recent books areNigerian Youth Literature andFoundation-Essays in Children's Literature and Youth Literature (both 1987, Paramount Publishers, Benin City, Nigeria).     

The Project Method in the Teaching of English

The Scottish Central Committee on English has issued a bulletin and several working papers to assist teachers in modernizing their practices in English teaching. These guidelines were welcomed by many teachers and have elicited lively reactions. After trying out the suggested new approaches, teachers have discussed their experiences in various reports; we have selected two that illustrate new practices which American readers will find familiar (except, perhaps, for the emphasis on "rigour"). The author of the first article, Alistair H. B. Davidson, is an inspector of schools (HMI); the author of the second, James Mcintosh, is now Principal Lecturer in English at Dundee College of Education. Both articles appeared in Teaching English, October 1970, Vol. 4, No. 1.     

The pig-pet,pork or sacrifice?

Prior to early retirement, Arthur Arnold was Head of Community and Teaching Studies at Bradford College in the U. K. His book,Children, Animals and Books—The Historical and Social Significance of Animals in Children's Literature, is forthcoming (Croom Helm). He has also written novels for teenagers. Mr. Arnold's article in defense of the wolf appears inCLE, Summer, 1986.     

Odd behaviour of the even integer 2

It is always of interest when one finds a property that is true only of some given object, or some given class of objects. For example, if n > 1 is an integer, then (n − 1)! + 1 is divisible by n just when n is a prime number. In this article we look at some properties that are true only for the integer 2. Shailesh Shirali has been at Rishi Valley School, Andhra Pradesh (Krishnamurti Foundation India) since the 1980’s. He has a deep interest in teaching and writing about mathematics at the high school/post school levels, with particular emphasis on problem solving and on historical aspects of the subject. He has been involved in the Mathematics Olympiad movement at the national and international level for the past two decades. He is the author of several expository books and articles aimed at interested high school students.     

Arnold's sea of faithlessness: Margaret,the merman,and the cry of the children

Peter Merchant teaches at Christ Church College, Canterbury, in England. He has previously written for CLE onLorna Doone (18/4), on heroism and sacrifice in Victorian literature for the young (20/1), and onPeter Wilkins (21/2). His research interests lie in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.     

Handbook of human performance technology: Principles,practices, potential (3rd ed.) edited by James A. Pershing

James A. Pershing, CPT, PhD, is a professor of education in instructional systems technology and educational inquiry methodology at Indiana University. He is the former editor of the Performance Improvement journal and TechTrends, past director of the International Society for Performance Improvement, and association manager of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology. He is now a consulting reviewer for TechTrends and is editor of the Asia Pacific Cybereducation Journal. The Handbook of Human Performance Technology: Principles, Practices, Potential (3rd ed.; ISBN: 978‐0‐7879‐6530‐0) is published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. The publisher may be reached online at http://www.pfeiffer.com/WileyCDA/ or contacted at 978–750–8400.     

Geography teaching in the twenty-first century

Conclusion At a time when transnational communities are being created which extend beyond the confines of regions and natio-States, geographers are questioning the very foundations of their discipline and their function in society. Not only do they no longer avoid acknowledging their role in the transmission of spatial, regional and national identity, but they no longer act solely within the framework of the nation-State. The juxtaposition of local and world considerations prompts them to embark upon new inquiries tending towards the teaching of a conceptual and topical geography which can mobilize pupils and teachers alike according to broad social, temporal and spatial principles. Human beings, frail creatures of the earth, have only one real tool adapted to the vastness of the spaces with which we have to grapple: the mind (Ratzel, 1988). Born in 1944. Professor of geography at the University of Geneva, having taught in Canada and France. He holds a doctorate from the Sorbonne and has studied geography and regional sciences in France and the United States of America. He has been chief examiner at the International Baccalaureat Office. He is now President of the Western Regional Science Association and the Swiss Association of University Lecturers. His recent publications, as author or editor, include:Encyclopédie de géographie [Encyclopedia of geography] (2nd ed., 1995),Introduction à la géographie humaine [Introduction to human geography] (5th ed., 1995) andLes concepts de la géographie [Geographical concepts] (3rd ed., 1995). He is editor-in-chief of the series entitled ‘Géographie’ at the Anthropos publishing house, Paris.     

Some challenges for educational research in Latin America

Founding director of the Centro de Estudios Educativos (Centre for Educational Studies) in Mexico City and of the Revista Latinoamericana de Estudios Educativos(Latin American Journal of Educational Studies). He was in charge of the National Programme of Educational Research of the National Council for Science and Technology. He now carries out research at the Regional Centre for Adult Education and Functional Literacy for Latin America. His recent publications include: La política de alfabetización de seis países latinoamericanos, Participatory Research: A New Research Paradigm?and Elementos para una propuesta orientada a elevar la calidad: La enseñanza tutorial.