This ERIC Digest presents an overview of the process and mechanics of language development, along with implications for practice. Sections of the discussion focus on: (1) when and how language is learned; (2) oral language components; and (3) nurturing language development. It is argued that teachers can help sustain natural language development…

This ERIC Digest explores factors that affect creativity in children and techniques for fostering this quality. The need to study creativity and the definition of creativity within a developmental framework are also discussed. Six ways adults can encourage children's creativity are listed. It is pointed out that adults can encourage creativity by…

The involvement of parents in the education of their children is briefly discussed. Discussion focuses on ways to involve parents, ways to reach parents, and difficulties in involving parents. It is asserted that the suggestions offered in this ERIC Digest can help teachers involve parents who might not otherwise be involved. While an individual…

In his influential book "Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate," Ernest Boyer (1990) proposed that the definition of scholarship be broadened beyond the emphasis on discovery to encompass the scholarships of integration, application, and teaching. A report by the Association for the Study of Higher Education and the…

The three facets of a faculty member's job in the modern university are teaching, research, and service. There is general agreement on the meanings of teaching and research, but what the service role involves is much less clear. There are internal and external dimensions to service. Internal service is service to the institution as a way to…

This ERIC Digest offers tips for understanding the needs, concerns, and feelings of employed parents, and discusses ways child caregivers can involve working parents in their children's lives while the children are enrolled in child care facilities. Competition with the caregiver, guilt over leaving children in the care of others, and little time…

The digest focuses on being comfortable around handicapped children and offers suggestions for classroom teachers working with mainstreamed handicapped students. The importance of treating the child as normally as possible is emphasized. Questions of pity are dealt with. Teachers are urged to handle children's frustrations and accomplishments in…

The digest addresses topics related to professional training for teachers of gifted and talented students. General responsibilities of such teachers include organizing enrichment activities for students and teachers, disseminating information about innovative teaching practices and materials, and promoting integration between regular and special…

Cognitive studies researcher, Samuel Wineburg, has conducted empirical studies over the past decade to compare the way historians think about primary and secondary sources with the thinking processes of high school students and teachers. Wineburg's research demonstrates the importance of domain-based or subject-specific thinking in the teaching…

During the past 30 years, there has been a global surge of democracy. For most people of the world today, democracy is the prevailing source of political legitimacy. In 2002, 121 of the world's 192 sovereign states could be recognized as democracies in terms of the minimal global standard for an electoral democracy. This digest discusses: (1) the…

Children may be exposed to trauma in their personal lives or at school. Teachers can prepare children to cope with trauma by understanding the nature of trauma, teaching skills for responding to emergencies, and learning how to mitigate the after-effects of trauma. Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has specific characteristics and…

Research suggests that: (1) teachers' use of praise may lower students' confidence in themselves; (2) systematic use of praise as a reinforcer in the classroom is impractical; (3) praise is a weak reinforcer; (4) various forms of praise have different effects on different kinds of students; and (5) use of praise is not the most powerful method for…

This digest examines the basic tenets of Self-Directed Learning (SDL) and discusses the findings of recently conducted research which are germane to SDL's application in K-12 classrooms. Self-directed learning has its roots in adult education and has been investigated and discussed for many years. The digest surveys the literature to identify…

To make writing public, the writer must have an audience. A cooperative and caring environment that invites children to share and respond is the type of supportive environment in which children's reading and writing can flourish. Children who have not published do not write for an audience, but instead write for a critical reader--the teacher.…

There are many ways to assess the effectiveness of school conflict resolution training (CRT) programs. Some methods require extensive resources, but others, conducted by CRT practitioners themselves, also provide useful information. This digest presents a framework for CRT evaluation by practitioners that enables them to reflect productively on…