A 10-week practicum intervention was designed to improve second graders' spelling skills. A target group of five students who had exhibited difficulty in staying on-task and were performing a half-year below grade level was selected. Practicum goals were that 60 percent of target children would: (1) score at least 80 percent on spelling tests in…

Addressing the question of why some children manage to continue successfully through the later stages of literacy acquisition while others are unable to meet the challenges presented by fourth and fifth grade reading tasks, an 18-month, in-depth study was conducted of the home environment factors influencing the reading comprehension of second,…

This study assessed the status of touch-typing in school districts in Oregon and Washington, and developed and field tested a comprehensive training program designed to prepare elementary teachers to teach touch-typing skills to elementary students. There were four major activities: (1) a questionnaire was developed and mailed to a random sample…

Investigates effects of media on attitudes of fourth- and seventh-grade students toward mentally handicapped using three treatments and discussion at each grade level. One group viewed "The Hayburners"; companion book was read to another group; third was exposed to both book and film; control group did neither. (17 references) (EJS)

Outdoor Biology Instructional Strategies (OBIS) were used successfully to motivate elementary students to learn about biological sciences through outdoor activities in the rural environment. (MH)

This brochure, written in Spanish, discusses strategies that Spanish-speaking parents can use to support the interests of their children and how to recognize and extend their children's talents. Parents are urged to: (1) be aware of what their child likes to do and be patient with the changing patterns as the child explores areas of interests and…

The classroom assessment tool described in this manual offers teachers a method to identify academic needs across the curriculum for migrant, language minority, and mobile students. The primary strategy of this assessment system is to identify the knowledge and skill levels of these students in core curriculum areas. The tests, for grades 1…

The number of students victimized by violent crimes rose by nearly 25% between 1989-1995. Screening, along with good clinical judgment by counselors, should be the source for identifying children and adolescents at risk. This book is designed as a guidebook to help counselors develop skills in learning about the etiology of violence, identifying…

"The school, as one of the significant agencies of the community, accepts its responsibilities for contributing to individual to individual, family, and community health. ...Classroom teachers in their daily contacts with boys and girls are the key persons in the school health program." These two sentences point up the theme of this bulletin. Four…

Recognizes the necessity to develop a values curriculum. Advocates using folktales (myths, legends, fables) to teach values to elementary students in a manner nonthreatening to parents. Provides examples of appropriate fables and folktales and their morals. Cites two sources to help teachers guide children in their moral development through folk…

Three articles present suggestions to help elementary teachers promote student development. The first describes games that encourage a sense of community. The second deals with making parent teacher conferences a positive experience. The third discusses how to give confused children who are involved in custody battles an alternative to acting out.…

This article examines gender bias in the school, describing the role of parents and teachers in fostering the bias, often unintentionally. The effects of the inequity are discussed and solutions for combatting gender bias are presented. (SM)

Discusses results of an action research study of second-grade students' group work which indicated that, when students were not given sample solutions for problems, they were more likely to use higher order thinking, take ownership of strategies, discuss solutions longer, and be more accepting of other views. (MKR)

Examines teaching methods in elementary social studies classrooms. Interviews fifth and sixth grade students regarding their perceptions of social studies. Finds instruction relies heavily on textbooks. Shows half of the students dislike social studies. Includes students' verbatim comments. Designs teaching approaches based on students' preference…

Teachers commonly use only two types of assessment--written examinations that test basic skills and direct observation of student learning. Both assessment procedures have been the subject of intense criticism. This study was conducted to investigate the viability of the portfolio model for authentic assessment of student growth, to analyze…