Discusses why it is important to teach arithmetic, showing teachers how to match what they are teaching with children's real-world needs, presenting seven basics for teaching arithmetic today, and offering seven classroom strategies for implementing the instruction. The seven basics emphasize the importance of arithmetic skills and math facts as…

Presents six strategies for positively promoting good behavior among elementary students, including: surprise rewards for quiet classroom behavior; a compliment chain made of paper clips; behavior self-evaluation forms; consistent routines; a list of five things students must do in order for the teacher to be able to give out directions; and…

Describes strategies to help students learn how to evaluate their own work using portfolio assessment, a gradual process that enables students to think reflectively about their work. The paper discusses what is involved in teaching students to understand the terms and participate in the process. (SM)

This article presents ideas for turning elementary-level nonreaders into readers. Activities include teachers'"all-about-me letters" to gain insight into students' interests, and interviewing students to document their use of reading strategies. A reading strategy record sheet for the student interviews is included. (SM)

Presents tips on how to create a positive, friendly classroom community from day one. Ideas include beginning the year with getting-to-know-you activities; identifying and positively involving students with potential behavior problems; offering opportunities for students to assist one another with activities; working together toward a goal; and…

Presents strategies for getting organized and creating a classroom environment that promotes science learning for primary students. Teachers must first decide what topics they are going to cover and what materials they need. Next, they should determine how to organize the materials. Finally, they should identify and set up areas in the classroom…

Using positive behavior management can help teachers keep difficult students focused on learning. The article presents strategies for working with five difficult types of student personalities (the chatterbox, the clinger, the boycotter, the debater, and the sulker), highlighting the strategies in action. (SM)

Discusses how to help students learn to manage anger, highlighting four critical concepts of anger management (anger cues, anger triggers, anger reducers, and communications skills) and explaining how to teach students to consider the different aspects of anger, use anger positively, examine anger triggers, cool down, and handle frustration. (SM)

One way to give students a firsthand feel for other cultures is to turn them into sleuths who investigate authentic artifacts from various cultures. This article explains how one teacher borrows artifacts from a local museum, then creates a mystery to solve that provides hands-on learning. Suggests ideas to use instead of artifacts. (SM)

Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences helps teachers nurture students' unique intelligences. This article explains how one teacher reinvented her curriculum and teaching methods to meet all students' needs, highlighting a unit that introduced the concept of diverse strengths and open-ended exploration of the seven intelligences through…

Six strategies for assessing young students' writing and tracking their progress include conducting a survey regarding students' thoughts on writing, focusing anecdotal notes on students' writing, meeting for quick conferences, fixing students' work to celebrate growth, sharing rubrics with students, and keeping notebooks and portfolios. (SM)

At the end of the year, elementary students fear loss of daily routines, impending empty days, problems at home, and uncertainty about September. Teachers can help by promoting classroom discussion, acknowledging everyone's mixed feelings, mentioning that students will see teachers in the fall, gathering information about summer activities,…

Presents suggestions to assist elementary teachers in engaging their students in investigating real environments to develop true self-esteem and learn to cope with occasional frustration or negative feedback. One sidebar discusses how much self-esteem is enough. Another sidebar suggests questions to ask before praising a child. (SM)

Four computer programs to help pupils master word problems are reviewed. (MT)

Offers suggestions on helping foster children adjust and succeed at home and school. Drawing on advice from a child psychologist and an adoption/foster care expert, the paper discusses how foster care and adoption work, how the school can help, and what the families need. (SM)