Trends in Instruction
Reading and Language Arts
Seven basic approaches to teaching
reading
Basal reader approaches
Comprehensive and
systematic
 Good sequencing
 Is flexible
 Well-established
vocabulary
 Has diagnostic tools
 Well-rounded
approach

Stereotyped
 Limits students to one
book
 Geared to middle
class whites
 Little time for
creativity
 Heavily visual
 Little transfer to
functional reading

Language experience
Integration of all
language arts
 Utilizes students’ own
language
 Encourages sharing
 Develops confidence
 Develops selfexpression

Limited materials
 No sequencing built in
 No concrete
evaluation process
 Limits word attack
skills

Individualized reading
Enables child to select
appropriate books
 Progresses at own
rate
 Relationship with
teacher enhanced
through conferences
 Diminishes
competition
 Flexible

Allows for insufficient
skill development
 Requires vast
amounts of materials
 May allow children to
limit own selection
 No advance
organizers

Linguistic approach
Words are
phonetically familiar
 Presents words as
wholes
 shows letters as a
function by
arrangement in the
words
 Develops sentence
order early

There are many
linguistic approaches
 Lacks extensive field
testing
 Has too controlled
vocabulary (Dr. Suess
books)

Phonics
Develops efficiency in
word recognition
 Helps develop
independence in word
recognition
 Immediate
success/positive
reinforcement
 Letter-sound
association

Tends to isolate
speech in an
unnatural manner
 Too much repetition;
boring
 Phonics can become
reading instead of
being a subset of
reading

International Teaching Alphabet
Is simpler
 Gives opportunity for
free expression
 Quick success,
develops enthusiasm
 Encourages learning
of words more rapidly

Lacks clarification
regarding techniques
and materials
 Transition from
International
Teaching Alphabet
difficult
 ITA is only at school
 Validity unknown

Programmed Instruction
Allows child to
proceed at own pace
 Reinforces after each
step
 Records student
progress
 Self-instructional
 Helps teacher to
understand
sequencing

Does not consider
attention span of
student
 Becomes repetitious
 Bypasses
comprehension
 Little room for child to
develop his own
interests
 Expensive

Mathematics, moving from . . .
 A narrow computationally driven
curriculum
 Acquisition of pieces of knowledge as an
end in itself
 A narrow role for problem solving with
primary emphasis on word problems
 Preoccupation with paper-pencil
computation
 Students as passive participants
Mathematics, moving to
 A broad curriculum that includes
experiences with several branches of
mathematics
 Embedding knowledge in a conceptual
framework
 Multiple methods of computation,
including calculators for “messy” problems
 Students as active participants
Mathematics Goals
 Mathematical Ideals:
the concepts of
number, operation, relations, set function,
and proof
 Problem solving: ability to associate a
physical event with the appropriate
mathematical statement, use
computations to solve the statement, and
then apply the resolution to the originating
physical event
Mathematics goals (2)
 Computation techniques:
the skills to
compute effectively and efficiently the
sums, differences, products, and quotients
of whole and fractional numbers
 Language: the meanings and experiences
to use the communication system of
mathematics to explore, invent, and
discover (“think mathematics”)
Social Studies Education
Developing an awareness of the
social world around us
The social studies fields
History
 Philosophy
 Sociology
 Political science
 Geography
 Economics
 Anthropology
 Social psychology

If social studies is uninteresting,
it may be that
 There are no opportunities for wise acting,
experiencing, and inquiring
 Objects and materials of the environment
are inappropriate for the developmental
levels of the students
 the range of cognitive and affective
behaviors is being thwarted
If social studies is boring . . .
 Teaching and learning are considered
as
the same acts
 Information, conclusions, and values are
being imposed
Try these things . . .
Do some synthesis
activities--building,
doing, changing,
amending.
 Check the media
resources--what else
is there to help history
come alive?
 Get students involved

Health and Physical Education
A Physically educated person
Has physical skills
 Participates regularly
in physical activity
 Is Physically fit
 knows benefits from
physical activities
 values physical
activity and its
contributions

Two faces of sex education
“Home face” says that
sex ed. Should be
taught at home
 Abstinence before
marriage +
monogamy
afterwards =the only
safe sex
 Values and anatomy
should be taught

Statistics say “home
face” is failing
 Abstinence is first
choice; condoms, 2nd
 Less than 25% of
children have
significant visits with
parents about sex
 Avoiding disaster is
the motive for sex ed.

Science Education
 Consists of (1) attitudes, (2) processes or
methods, and (3) products
 Current science education emphasizes
attitudes and processes instead of just
products
Scientific attitudes
Curiosity
 Humility
 Skepticism
 Open-mindedness
 Avoidance of
dogmatism or
gullability

Positive approach to
failure
 Objectivity

Scientific processes
Observing
 Classifying
 Measuring
 Hypothesizing or
predicting
 Describing
 Inferring or making
conclusions from
data

Asking insightful
questions about
nature
 Formulating problems
 Designing
investigations
 Carrying out exper.
 Constructing from
data, principles, laws,
& theories

Scientific products
Concepts
 Principles and
generalizations
 Theories

Art Education
No longer for the elite
 Artist is a more
careful observer, not
just a “gifted hand.”
 May include water
color, charcoal,
drawing, oils,
sculpture, computer
graphics

Music education
Includes singing, preorchestral
instruments, band
instruments,
orchestra,
synthesizer.
 Not just for the elite
 Enrichment for life

Vocational education
No longer just for
“second track”
students
 Every person needs
technical skills
 Some skills are
needed for use at
home regardless of
one’s profession

Directions for all curricula
 Constructivistic
 “Hands-on”
 Students as active learners
 MEANINGFUL LEARNING--teach nothing
without teaching meaning
 Connections to other parts of the
curriculum