The article presents a practical sequence for setting up a group reward system and offers guidelines for decisions concerning program implementation and termination. (DB)

A study to find out how teachers involve parents in learning programs is described. Teachers are advised to send letters to the parents of students they will be teaching the following year asking for support in overcoming summer learning loss. Specific activities teachers could suggest are offered. (MT)

Suggestions are offered to elementary school teachers for more effective bulletin boards, which encourage hands-on manipulation, reinforce a wide spectrum of concepts and learning skills, provide visual confirmation for learning, and encourage student creativity and hard work. Examples are provided from social studies and language arts. (DB)

Presents a collection of inexpensive, nonsugary rewards for students who demonstrate extra effort and fine achievement. They include a skip-a-spelling-test pass, a skip-homework pass, special lunches with the teacher, first place blue ribbons, big-goals celebrations, and a special, comfortable chair that students can use on a rotating basis. (SM)

Mathematics activities and materials for teaching and reinforcing number concepts are presented. The activities, which rely primarily on number cards, are divided into the following sections: (1) sets less than ten; (2) the teen numbers; (3) sets and numerals to 100; (4) numeration; and (5) words that represent numbers (e.g., "one=1").…

The study sought to reduce physical contact among students in a special education classroom and to reduce inappropriate contact with classroom objects or materials. Four students, aged 7-9, who exhibited disruptive classroom behavior, were the subjects. During small-group mathematics instruction, three rules of discipline were explained to the…

A behavior management program which uses play money to motivate students and reinforce appropriate behavior helps elementary school students (including disabled students) develop responsibility for their behavior. All students in the class participate and are allowed to buy items from the class store with money earned. (CB)

Experiences in using positive reinforcement while teaching on an Indian reservation are presented for teachers and administrators. Several "positive reinforcers," intended to prevent potential discipline problems from occurring, are described, including student involvement in deciding on classroom rules, election of classroom officers, class…

This article offers multiplication fact memorization training techniques that have been successfully used with students with learning disabilities in resource room and clinical settings. Techniques include organizing the facts, using finger multiplication, visual mnemonic flashcards, and musical reinforcement. (DB)

The importance of independent reading is advocated for success both in school and out of school. The following four strategies are presented to stimulate children's interest in reading and to assist the teacher in providing an environment in which independent reading becomes a student practice: (1) provide opportunities for students to see, hear,…

Studied for its effects on the reading fluency of elementary school students, R. C. Heckleman's Neurological Impress Method has proved an inexpensive but effective method for motivating low achievement readers. Twenty-six subjects from grades 2 to 6 practiced reading in unison with a tutor during four 15-minute sessions a week. During the sessions…

This book about classroom management provides teachers with information on how to help students become the kind of people they want them to be. It offers a guide to the Responsive Classroom approach, a social and emotional learning program that creates an ideal environment for learning. Section 1, "Building a Learning Community,"…

The article examines five issues that student teachers should discuss with their master teachers and five issues that master teachers should discuss with their student teachers at the beginning of the experience. The issues focus on expectations, attitudes, classroom management, mistakes, help, positive reinforcement, collegiality, and…

Presents positive strategies to help teachers turn behavior problems in the classroom around. Suggestions include looking for the good rather than the bad, avoiding negative labels, seeking coaches and avoiding critics, and working with parents. A list of 10 steps to success are provided. (SM)

Presents suggestions to assist elementary teachers in engaging their students in investigating real environments to develop true self-esteem and learn to cope with occasional frustration or negative feedback. One sidebar discusses how much self-esteem is enough. Another sidebar suggests questions to ask before praising a child. (SM)