Graphing is an integrative skill because you can use it whether you are teaching measurement or geometry or number theory or most any other topic. It is also important as a mode of communication which can simplify a large amount of information. Here are five steps for effective presentation of graphing to young students. (Author/RK)

Suggests some aspects of the school environment which can initiate graphing experiences as well as present some guidelines for graphing. (Author/RK)

Stage almost any story or subject with characters that children fabricate, decorate and manipulate. (Editor)

Children trace the origins of their first names and their family backgrounds to get intouch with their "roots". (Editor)

Describes a task analysis procedure used by a fourth grade teacher to help her students become more aware of time wasted. (SB)

Four musical encounters that will really work with your kids. These experimental approaches use junkyard finds to create Bottlephones and Pot Chimes, and suggest some unusual forms of musical notation. (Editor)

Provides two lesson plans, one appropriate for kindergarten and one for fifth grade, emphasizing the role of the learner. Both plans include components addressing motivation, content, closure, and application. (RH)

Describes activities to stimulate elementary school students' and kindergarten children's interest in mixing colors and selecting attribute cards. Suggests ways to encourage parents and other adults to participate in positive activities with children. (RH)

Discusses metacognition as an important component of a set of essential survival skills for the future. Indicates ways to promote general awareness of metacognitive activity, facilitate conscious monitoring of comprehension, and encourage a deliberate and systematic approach to learning and problem solving. (RH)

Describes self-instruction training, a cognitive-behavioral approach to self-control in which children are taught to use covert speech to modify their own behavior. Discusses its effectiveness as an intervention technique for use by school psychologists. Presents research results addressing how and when to use this strategy. (BH)

This report describes the second year of an award-winning summer enrichment program aimed at developing independent learning skills and encouraging lifelong learning in gifted elementary students. The program featured contact with university scholars actively involved in problem solving, introduction to general bodies of knowledge, and in-depth…

Egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, adult. Children watch and nurture a magical metamorphosis. (Editor)

Developed by educators in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, public schools, this book shows ways to engage students in high quality work, reveal information about students that cannot be seen through standardized tests, and help students become responsible for their own academic growth. The Assessment Portfolios described are used in 21 Milwaukee schools…

Discusses the child who has newly immigrated, the importance of peer acceptance, the skills of friendship, the promotion of prosocial behavior, the developmental sequence of friendship, the impact of moving on friendship, the encouragement of peer interaction, and the role of the teacher as mediator. (RH)

Discusses four concepts considered vital to the development of children's ability to read and understand maps: representation, symbolization, perspective, and scale. Guidelines are offered for map construction activities aligned on a developmental continuum ranging from concrete to abstract and intended for children up to third grade. (RH)