Describes how one district redrew attendance boundaries after a new elementary school was added, and provides six rules to follow in realigning attendance boundaries. (IRT)

Providing students with realistic problems will facilitate a better understanding of and reason for computation. Specific suggestions for introducing and for increasing problem-solving skills are described. (CJ)

This article presents activities to help teachers explore the issue of tattling and help students learn when to tell and when to work it out themselves. Both activities require several 20-minute periods in which teachers explain the issue and involve students in discussions of appropriate behavior and responses. (SM)

Presents ways that computers can make back-to-school easier for teachers, focusing on beautifying the classroom (display helpers and timelines); organizing the routine (labels, databases, grading, and parent letters); and making name tags and labels. Teacher software sources are listed. (SM)

Discusses the importance of providing enough activity choices for young children during outdoor play. Defines simple, complex, and super play units. Describes the application of an equation for determining the number of available play spaces in a playground. (RJC)

Answers some questions frequently asked by educators wishing to begin a Language Arts Reading Club (a group of educators meeting monthly to discuss common professional reading), such as how to get started, what to expect, and how to keep the club going. (SR)

This column examines how to reconcile differences in parents' and teachers' ideas of learning and prevent the negative effects on children when teachers and parents do not agree, recommending that good conversation and communication are the best ways to prevent such conflicts from happening in the first place. (SM)

Gives an account of the issues surrounding the attempts of two teachers to integrate literature into the science curriculum of a second-grade classroom. Argues that children's intellectual development is best served by curricula based on inquiry. (HB)

Presents suggestions for integrating mathematical problem solving into all aspects of an elementary school classroom. This includes taking data from such areas as attendance and lunch counts, numbers of seats needed for an open house, amount of money needed for field trips, and many more. The article offers tips for powerful problem solving. (SM)

This article offers simple ways for teachers to coax reluctant parents into the classroom. Suggestions include showing and telling parents how welcome they are, developing a sensitivity to differences in cultures and educational backgrounds, providing food, and making home visits to the parents. (SM)

The most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children at home and in the classroom. At school, reading aloud is important for starting the day, presenting reading and writing mini-lessons, supporting social studies and science curricula, supporting whole-class book studies, and…

Presents suggestions to help struggling readers in upper elementary grades. The suggestions focus on: how to select the right books, how to introduce the books, and how to read the books. A sidebar presents a below-level readers' gripe list (e.g., people think they are dumb, treat them like they cannot think, and make them invisible). (SM)

Describes the implementation of a weekly creative writing assignment for early elementary school students in a Montessori setting. Notes that students' writing reveals their social maturity and personality characteristics. Provides suggestions for starting a creative writing exercise, including brainstorming, a babbling activity, and a…

With early diagnosis and intervention, students with language delays can succeed. This paper presents warning signs and recommends seeking expert help, explaining that supporting such children involves such things as reading to them, using simple but grammatically correct sentences, and following their lead. A sidebar notes areas that may be…

"MCPS School Safety and Security at a Glance" provides, in a single document, information about the reporting of incidents related to school safety and security, school climate, local school safety program descriptions, and serious incidents in all Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools. The information is presented for each school.…