This practicum was an 8-month project designed to improve the motivational level and academic success of African American middle school boys through high-interest and activity-based Africentric lessons. The goal was to motivate black middle school males to strive for academic excellence. This goal was necessary in order to eliminate the problem of…

Grounded in personal experiences of classroom teachers, this book discusses broad ideas concerning thinking and teaching of complex-level thinking, and the pragmatic realities of teaching thinking in the regular classroom. The book notes that creating the "thoughtful" classroom is akin to a journey of change from one style to another style of…

This book notes that much of what children and adolescents know about life they learn from watching adult role models: teachers, parents, coaches, and clergy members. It was written to help adults examine their health-related beliefs and actions and evaluate how they model these beliefs and actions, consciously and unconsciously, to children. The…

This paper offers practical suggestions to educators working with the increasing numbers of students who are technologically dependent and/or medically fragile. Suggestions address the following areas: (1) management of the physical environment and specialized equipment (e.g., maximizing accessibility, equipment in the classroom, classroom…

This report provides research-based answers to questions about literacy development from infancy to age 6, with emphasis on the development of these skills in precocious readers. The question-answer format considers the importance of reading with young children, other activities to help young children learn to read, normal development of reading…

A study assessed the effectiveness of three cognitive levels of instruction with first graders--three-dimensional (3-D) instruction using real objects, two-dimensional (2-D) instruction using picture representations, and verbal instruction. The study population included 18 first-grade students between the ages of 6 and 8 at a small elementary city…

Given the help they want and need, families do spend time with their young children in developmentally appropriate learning activities. Following a successful experience with Family Connections 1, the Rural Excel Program at the Appalachia Educational Laboratory (AEL) developed a second volume of 22 colorful, four-page guides to learning, designed…

This paper evaluates the Seattle (Washington) School District's 5-year Bilingual Resource Service Model project. The project aimed to improve bilingual education services for elementary limited English proficient students of Chinese, Laotian/Hmong/Mien, Vietnamese, or Cambodian native language backgrounds by increasing the instructional…

A practicum was designed to improve the self-concepts of intermediate grade students and reduce behavior problems in their class. The practicum was implemented for 10 weeks in an alternative education class of 14 low socioeconomic status students with moderate learning and behavior problems. The three strategies employed were: (1) daily peer group…

This report is designed to provide the Norwalk (Connecticut) Board of Education and the entire school community with the status of the school system testing program for the spring of 1987. From May 6 through May 15, the system administered the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBSs) and the Test of Cognitive Skills (TCS) to 5,113 students in…

The reading learning objectives for ninth graders contained in this volume are congruent with the Texas "State Board of Education Rules for Curriculum." These objectives and the measurement specifications are provided for use by teachers and other educators responsible for student instruction and for test development specialists involved…

The focus of this book is on the identification of practical knowledge and skill needed and an action plan to implement prevention programming in schools. The text is written as a resource for practitioners, students, and faculty in school counseling. It is designed to facilitate development of knowledge necessary to implement comprehensive…

One component of the Reading Plan for Michigan is to develop and implement methods of assessing children's progress in acquiring early literacy skills and of communicating their status and progress to other teachers and parents. This document presents an assessment and instructional system, the Michigan Literacy Progress Profile 2001 (MLPP 2001),…

Presents the conclusion of chapter 6 ("The Mental Development of Younger Schoolchildren in the Process of Learning Activity") from V. V. Davydov's "Problems of Developmental Teaching." Examines experimental teaching methods for elementary art education. Reviews research on effects of Davydov's developmental teaching, concluding…

Describes a difficult sixth grade girl who spent her elementary school years fighting to feel happy. The article focuses on a teacher's efforts to raise the child's self-esteem by examining her home life then taking appropriate steps to encourage success (e.g., tutoring younger students). (SM)