This digest discusses some of the ways children develop functional phonics knowledge in the context of authentic reading and writing, as well as some of the ways teachers can foster such development. The digest suggests that children develop phonics knowledge by: having familiar stories or poems read to them repeatedly; discussing letter/sound…

Cooperation among students in classroom problem-solving activities is briefly discussed in terms of Piaget and cooperative problem-solving, guidelines for teachers, and the teacher's role. While research results are not unambiguous, teachers can encourage children to interact and share their perspectives during cooperative play by: (1) planning…

Guidelines for teaching early childhood teachers and other adults about computers and their use are offered. Discussion focuses on how attitudes of the adult learner can impede learning, how the trainer can encourage teachers and other school personnel to learn about computers, and the trainers'"invisible agenda" of educational goals…

This digest addresses issues that should be considered in proposing technological solutions to the problems of public education. Although the potential benefits of the widespread application of media to instruction are supported, emphasis is on the need to define technology as a technique of designing instruction, rather than the more common…

Discusses a number of issues pertaining to handwriting instruction, including how it is taught, when it is taught, and whether special paper and pencils should be used with beginning writers. (FL)

Examines materials in the ERIC database that provide suggestions for assessing children's language development that enhance rather than inhibit their natural language growth. (EL)

Discusses six ERIC documents reporting computer applications in reading and language arts. (FL)

This Digest addresses two ways that classroom teachers can use the results of standardized tests: (1) to revise instruction for entire classes or courses; and (2) to develop specific intervention strategies for individual students. Test publishing companies typically provide classroom-level reports to enable teachers to see how a group of students…

The articles and papers reviewed in this Topical Bibliography and Commentary address the issues of policy statements guiding curriculum people as they select acceptable books for middle school students to read and, specifically, what books should be on acceptable lists. Because of varying perspectives from which the criteria and lists are…

The technology revolution is causing changes in faculty roles and debates over the implications for institutions. This Critical Issue Bibliography (CRIB) Sheet describes resources related to educational technology in the higher education classroom, highlighting changing faculty role, implementation within different disciplines, and faculty…

Noting the discrepancy between what is advocated and what is practiced in language arts classroom, this Digest synthesizes the existing problems, reviews the research supporting language arts integration, and proposes a rationale for integrating the language arts. The Digest points out that these new initiatives in language arts focus on the…

This handbook examines practices and issues involved in the implementation of multiage programs. Data were collected through site visits at four schools with reputations for excellent multiage programs; interviews with a representative sample of parents and teachers at each school; document analysis; a survey of multiage teachers, parents, and…

Based upon the idea that the only hope for substantial curricular reform and for adoption of reflective inquiry in American schools is for teachers to redefine the basic pedagogical concepts that they have inherited, this book discusses how to teach students to reflect upon what they learn in school. The three major sections of the book discuss:…

According to an instructor of basic writing in the Writing Lab at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, he can teach differently in a computer-networked writing lab than he did in a conventional classroom. Because the room is designed to teach writing and nothing else, it offers a congenial workspace where the teacher can interact with…

Intended for personnel without specific training in counseling and guidance, the booklet addresses considerations in counseling gifted students. In "Issues in Affective Development of the Gifted," L. Silverman examines perceptions of others and of one's self, the effects of lack of recognition of students' special needs, and the tendency toward…