This article describes the MODEL2TALK intervention, which aims to promote young children's oral communicative competence through productive classroom talk. Productive classroom talk provides children in early childhood education with many opportunities to talk and think together. Results from a large-scale study show that productive classroom talk…

The implementation of social skills into teaching helps students achieve such important affective outcomes as peer recognition or popularity, respect for others, acceptance of rules, pro-social values, communication skills, and positive social interactions. Within physical education, many professionals believe that students who engage in games and…

"Bella is a 5-year-old girl with autism who attends a reverse inclusive preschool class. She primarily uses gestures and a communication binder to communicate with others. In addition, she is not toilet trained even though her teachers and her parents have tried numerous attempts over a 3-year period to train her. Bella also has gastrointestinal…

During the early childhood years, children learn to interact with one another in ways that are positive and successful. Researchers stress the importance of positive peer relationships in childhood and later life. The absence of positive social interactions in childhood is linked to negative consequences later in life, such as withdrawal,…

Although physical activity may provide a means for adolescents to improve their physical appearance and subsequently lessen body-related concerns, the fear of being negatively evaluated by others can act as a barrier to physical activity. Moreover, environments where people are constantly looked at and evaluated--such as physical education…

In Part II of this study, we examined the effect of two 9-week instructional climates (low-autonomy [LA] and mastery motivational climate [MMC]) on perceived physical competence (PPC) in preschoolers (N = 117). Participants were randomly assigned to an LA, MMC, or comparison group. PPC was assessed by a pretest, posttest, and retention test with…

When students are struggling to be successful in the general classroom, collaborative efforts should include planning for academic and social needs. Students with disabilities may display significant social difficulties such as establishing friendships or feelings of isolation and loneliness. Because peer relationships in childhood play a…

Ways that teachers can prepare themselves for a class with a mainstreamed disabled student are described, including obtaining information about the specific disability, visiting the child and parents at home, reflecting upon personal attitudes about disabilities, setting up for a wheelchair user, working with visually- or hearing-impaired…

The teacher's guide presents a set of seven lessons designed to help students understand friendship and peer relationships. The lessons focus on: (1) the desire to feel loved and accepted; (2) behaviors designed to gain acceptance from others; (3) ways that other people may use one's need for acceptance to influence one's behavior; (4) the…

A group of English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers share tips on how to incorporate the latest ESL techniques into teaching strategies to reinforce what children are learning in ESL and to enrich school for all students. (MT)

This annotated bibliography describes literature for children that addresses issues concerned with developmental disabilities. The 15 references are grouped into those for children in prekindergarten through grade three and those for children in grades four through eight. (DB)

A review of the literature suggests classroom techniques for reducing ethnocentrism among deaf and hearing students including providing multiple opportunities for interactions, giving both groups opportunities to discuss openly their reactions to each other, and discussing ways in which all human groups are similar. (DB)

Intended for both regular and special educators, the book outlines ways to promote integration between students with severe handicaps and their peers. The first of five sections includes an overview about students with severe handicaps as well as background information on the integration of severely handicapped students. Three chapters in section…

A program to prepare elementary grade students for mainstreaming of handicapped students is described. An outline of objectives, student activities, and required media and materials to improve understand of hearing impairment, visual impairment, physical handicap, and learning disability are provided. (DB)

This article considers educational implications of a child with cancer, including incidence, telling the child about his/her disease, school reentry, what classmates want to know, counseling the child with cancer, handling the issue of death, and staff issues. A lesson plan on childhood cancer for elementary students is also included. (DB)