Advocates the use of classification activities in the elementary school curriculum as a means of developing thinking skills in children. Critical preclassification skills, classification activities (including simple and multiple classification), and classification tasks and materials are discussed. (Author/RH)

A modified operant design demonstrated the effectiveness of the feedback procedure. Significant changes were evidenced by all groups of subjects. Initial results and follow-up observations indicated that the attending behavior of the experimental subjects increased and was maintained, without the use of tangible reinforcers. (Author)

Take prisoners, sow seeds, or eat the opponent's beans. A unique cultural approach to math. (Editor)

A teacher discovers the Teddy Bear as something common to her first graders' backgrounds and uses it as a motivator for a creative language arts program. (Author/RK)

Authors! Authors! Everybody takes a bow for a class-written drama. (Editor)

Presents suggestions from elementary school teachers to ease the pullout problem for classroom teachers. The suggestions include: create weekly class calendars, pair students, reschedule pullouts to more convenient times, and prepare a record sheet for information on topics the student misses. (SM)

Presents a step-by-step approach to using sentences from children's reading and writing to boost spelling skills while incorporating the principles and tying them in with curriculum areas. The steps include choosing a word, coaxing multiple strategies, branching to other words, making the connection, and using the sentence in many different ways.…

Presents annotated bibliography of 17 books and 16 journal articles on cross-cultural counseling and the issues related to various ethnic and racial groups targeted to elementary and middle school counselors. (ABL)

Discusses the topic-based approach for primary classroom curriculum. Focuses on the appropriateness of the approach for the acquisition of language and literary skills by children with learning difficulties. (RJC)

Discusses strategies designed to improve elementary school children's memory and comprehension of text. The strategies include summarization, representation, mnemonic imagery, story grammar, question generation, question answering, and prior knowledge activation. (RJC)

This article describes how to play a card game entitled "Is It 10?" which is designed to capture elementary school students' attention while they practice addition, explore number combinations, and learn beginning probability concepts. Suggestions for both primary and older students are provided. (SM)

When producing school plays, teachers can prepare students for the tryouts to avoid student frustration over the reality that everyone cannot play the lead. Suggestions include talking before the tryouts, meeting with those who are trying out, inviting students to participate in the crew, getting parents involved, being honest, and double casting…

Teachers can make sure students know important facts and concepts before giving unit tests by using the expert group review strategy. Small, mixed-ability student groups review different parts of the unit and present their findings to the class. After the test, students discuss the value of expert group review. (SM)

Argues that map skills instruction is among the broadest skill applications in the elementary school curriculum. Identifies problems encountered by elementary school children in dealing with maps and describes tasks designed to address such problems. Suggests that what teachers and curriculum developers learn from working with students can be used…

When a third grade student at Indian Valley School (California) decided she wanted to tell her classmates that she has the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), her school district planned a way to safeguard the children and educate the community at the same time. (MLF)