This book provides classroom-tested methods for engaging struggling middle grade readers--even those who appear to have given up--and fostering their success. The emphasis is on constructing respectful, encouraging learning environments that incorporate students' diverse literacies, cultural interests, and prior knowledge and skills into…

Miniperformances require less extensive preparation than formal concerts and offer performance opportunities to children with a wider range of abilities. Among those who have the most to gain from giving miniperformances are junior high and middle school students. (AM)

Reveals how students can be encouraged to use media and new technologies flexibly to compose and communicate their ideas. Describes ways in which teachers can help students enhance their classroom reports with free or inexpensive software that can be downloaded from the Internet. Discusses reports developed by three students in a hypothetical…

Describes how "speedwriting" requires that all learners become actively engaged in their own learning because, rather than generating ideas orally, students are instructed to write down all their ideas as quickly as they can. Considers how the social engagement of discussion and the sharing of ideas during the writing phase drew even the…

Intermediate and junior high school students became very involved with this learning activity which involved detective work. Working in groups, students had to solve a riddle based on a sequence of clues. The answer to each set of clues was either a person, an event, or a place. (RM)

Describes teachable moments and how students' questions, enthusiasm, and motivation lead them through full-steam reading voyages of discovery. (SR)

Explores the effectiveness of using television and video to motivate student writing. Describes how, following a series of motivational and brainstorming sessions using television, video, and popular literature, 23 fifth-grade students wrote and videotaped dramatizations of short "teaser" scripts in cooperative groups. Notes that these…

Discusses Readers Theatre, an instructional activity that combines several effective research-based practices, and leads to increased engagement with literacy even in very resistant readers. Considers the theory and research behind Readers Theatre. Describes the process of choosing and writing texts for performance, and preparing for performances.…

Intended to help teachers and librarians inspire students in grades 5-9 to read and keep reading, this book provides literature theme approaches and teaching strategies for reading and studying literature. Chapter 1 discusses approaches, methods, techniques, and strategies in using literature approaches to motivate reading. Chapter 2 defines a…

Describes eight creative inquiry projects for middle-school students, complete with description, time investment, level of difficulty, and student rating. (SR)

Outlines a process drama in which fourth graders play scientists grappling with moral decisions. Describes the students' enthusiasm at acting and following through on their parts. Explains that after the drama, the teacher and students reflect on how it followed or failed to follow dramatic story elements. (PM)

P.R.A.I.S.E. (Positive Reinforcement and Individualized Systematic Economics) is a multifaceted money system which utilizes positive and negative reinforcement and, at the same time, incorporates peer pressure and reinforcement for behavior modification. The system motivates, relates closely to life situations, and can be applied to all areas of…

Describes how a sixth grade class constructs wooden sculptures of people from scrap materials after viewing similar work by Pablo Picasso. Maintains that a limited budget does not limit childrens' imaginations. (KM)

Describes an art class flower painting project influenced by the book, "Georgia OKeefe: One Hundred Flowers." Students studied OKeefe's use of scale, color, composition, depth, and materials, to create their own flower paintings. (KM)

Argues that, especially in the intermediate grades, keying into students' personal interests is a powerful motivator for learning. Illustrates this with the story of a formerly excellent student who became disillusioned with school in fifth grade, becoming resistant and disruptive. Describes how a project approach to reading and writing that…