Predicting and questioning are two of the most important skills that children can use to achieve reading proficiency. Strategies are suggested that teachers can use to help children develop these skills. Appropriate reading materials and questioning techniques are discussed. (PP)

Presents a computer-assisted activity that helps students discover the importance of choosing words carefully. With a word processing program, small groups of students prepare creative, fill-in-the-blank challenges in which classmates must replace missing adjectives or verbs. (SM)

Elementary teachers offer their ideas for enhancing the final days of school. They help students review material, highlight achievements, fill spare time, and create summer plans. Suggestions include making class diplomas, producing action news, making friendship trees, writing letters to their future selves, and preparing summer activity guides.…

Critical thinking skills that can be applied to reading can be developed through means other than reading. Teachers can launch class discussions of popular films, such as "E.T.," to nurture these skills, a technique especially helpful for children who have difficulty with the printed word. (PP)

Describes how an eighth-grade teacher interested her students in reading and writing using cooperative learning and newspapers. During National Newspaper Week, students grouped into mixed ability clusters then completed weekly newspaper reading activities over the rest of the year. Team members agreed on role assignments and rotated…

Children's magazines are a colorful supplement that can capture the interest of the most reluctant readers. Providing students with magazines geared to their interests and ages can help motivate them to read. The article describes several activities for making the best use of magazines in reading. (SM)

A whole-language approach to science can enhance student learning. Curiosity about science leads to research, reading, and writing. An example of a two-week unit on ants is presented, in which students begin by watching the ants, then organize their thoughts, research ants, write about ants, and create final projects. (SM)

Describes how to use portfolios to track elementary students' reading and writing progress, offering teacher-to-teacher tips on the most effective use of portfolios in the classroom. The article discusses student self-evaluation through portfolios, reading- and writing-portfolio conferences, and teachers as learners. (SM)

A widely used technique for teaching reading, Directed Reading Activity (DRA), contributes to the development of passive readers rather than thinking readers. This article describes an alternative approach, Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (DRTA), contrasts DRTA with DRA, gives an example of DRTA in action, and provides tips for switching to…

Presents a group of 31 innovative language arts activities from teachers nationwide designed to inspire elementary students to become eager writers and editors. The article is part of a package of 100 creative ideas for keeping students enthused about learning in language arts, science, math, and social studies. (SM)

Provides before-, during-, and after-reading strategies to help students develop reading goals, monitor comprehension, and reflect on what they read. A reading wheel and student pages encourage practice of new strategies. Across the curriculum strategies are included for building comprehension in other curriculum areas. (SM)

Six articles help elementary teachers cultivate students' critical thinking skills across the curriculum with activities like examining past predictions and future forecasting, exploring science via ice and snow, strengthening critical reading through visual clues, discussing prediction using mathematical patterns, and studying vision with a…

The "Idea Place," a regular feature carried by the magazine "Learning," provides an assortment of practical teaching techniques selected from commercially available materials and from ideas submitted by readers. Games and activities are given for the areas of reading, writing, spelling, mathematics, science, social studies, and…

The "Idea Place," a regular feature carried by the magazine "Learning," provides an assortment of practical teaching techniques selected from commercially available materials and from ideas submitted by readers. Games, puzzles, and other activities are given for the areas of language arts, reading, mathematics, science, social…

Elementary educators can teach middle and upper level students to be book critics beginning with picture books, thus encouraging poor and reluctant readers and providing all students with practice in reading, writing, and critical thinking. The article provides suggestions for objectives of student critiques, e.g., bulletin board displays for the…