In this digest the problem of underachievement among gifted students is examined. Gifted underachievers manifest three behavior patterns in the school setting: non-communication and withdrawal, passive compliance, and aggressive/disruptive behavior. Gifted underachievers have been identified in greater numbers recently. Some of the causes of…

This Digest focuses on motivating the low performing adolescent in a remedial reading or subject area classroom--the idea is that students who are disengaged from their own learning processes are not likely to perform well in school. The Digest points out that such adolescents are often caught in a cycle of failure and that secondary teachers must…

This monograph provides an overview of the field of second and foreign language reading research and theories. The intent of the monograph is to provoke thought about future directions for investigating the second or foreign language reading process, and to suggest productive reading pedagogy. In Part I, pertinent first language theory and…

The authors in this volume propose expanding the topic of motivation in the preservice teacher education program by including contemporary research. Margaret W. Cohen reviews a body of research and theory concerned with the effects of extrinsic reinforcers on intrinsic motivation. She notes that contemporary research in the area of intrinsic…

Presented in both Spanish and English, this guide for a parent involvement meeting is designed to help teachers and parents explore specific strategies to motivate children to become better readers and learners. The guide contains material necessary to conduct a 1- or 1.5-hour session on motivational techniques that parents can use at home with…

Offering a fresh perspective on making writing meaningful in every classroom, this guide seeks to help the teacher and the parent encourage the student writer as a thinker, not merely as a producer of a paragraph. The guide offers guidance as well as many practical activities that will help students to: organize the mind; play with ideas; find…

This Digest reviews the literature on the subject of teaching English and language arts to gifted and talented students. It discusses how to identify gifted students, outlines some key principles for developing effective programs in English and language arts for the gifted, and suggests possible methods of evaluating gifted students and programs.…

An ERIC digest considers several approaches to community study within the social studies curriculum. Material is divided into four sections. Following an introduction, "A rationale for community study" outlines skills and concepts that can be presented through community study and presents the rationale that community study can provide…

While not an instructional panacea, peer involvement in second language learning can provide a rich and productive supplement to the second language classroom experience. It casts learners and teachers into new roles that may lead to a variety of benefits, enriching the total educational and social environment. The systematic use of peer teachers…