Explores how issues of power and identity are embedded within the cultures of a first-grade writing classroom. Explores the ways in which children's instructional stances--their responses to the ways they are positioned as writers in the classroom--affect their literacy learning. Presents the theoretical and research contexts in which educator's…

Notes that educators should closely examine the theoretical backgrounds of their beliefs to determine how mainstream values affect educational opportunities for the linguistically and culturally diverse students. Suggests that educators must carefully combine theory and practice within broader social, cultural, and historical contexts to produce…

In this enlightening volume, expert educator Robert Sylvester explains how adults can better understand teenagers through an engaging discussion of the adolescent brain. Readers will learn how to: (1) Mentor adolescents rather than attempt to manage and control them; (2) Nurture creativity, imagination, and individuality; and (3) Understand such…

This paper describes the Ecological Inventory, a technique developed to document the range and frequency of literacy-related activities available in pre-kindergartners' everyday lives. This technique can be used by teachers to broaden understanding of their students' home-based experiences. Results from the Ecological Inventory can be used as a…

Documenting an educational experiment that began in Sydney, Australia, this book presents essays by theorists and practitioners in the genre literacy movement that describe this approach to literacy instruction in a clear, practical, and accessible way. The book notes that the genre approach to literacy teaching emphasizes content, structure, and…

By examining 12 new middle school programs in 7 school districts in various regions of the United States, this study focuses on how decision-making and planning processes were reflected in grade reorganizations. From interviews with decision-makers involved in each of the cases, the new middle school programs were observed first for their…

Solving school problems and making policy decisions require that we anticipate how people will feel about an issue or how they will behave. School leaders must understand the values, attitudes, and beliefs brought to different situations. "The School Leader's Guide to Understanding Attitude and Influencing Behavior" makes it possible for educators…

This book presents five composites of teachers and students in action to portray and elaborate on the English Language Arts standards developed by the National Council of Teachers of English and the International Reading Association. The book demonstrates that teaching and learning are not generic, homogeneous activities that transcend time,…

Describes the situations of seven European nations who presently have public lending right (PLR) systems--Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, The Netherlands, and the German Federal Republic. PLR issues in Europe are also discussed. Thirty-six references are listed. (CHC)

Bladder and bowel dysfunction is a common problem for children with myelomeningocele and related spinal-cord defects. The chronic medical and social effects of this problem necessitate a multifaceted and multidisciplinary approach. Reviewed are bladder and bowel anatomy and physiology, developmental concerns, treatment techniques, and psychosocial…

Suggests steps that parents (in particular), teachers, and other adults can take to help relieve children's stress and to help children cope with stress at home and in school. (BB)

Discusses why gifted girls are at risk for emotional instability due to the mixed social messages they receive, the lack of mental-health services for gifted girls, and their need for specialized counseling. Urges mental-health professionals to consult with professionals in gifted education to provide appropriate services. (CR)

Suggests that writing about their lives allows Aboriginal teen women to define their strengths and explore their problems; it provides them with opportunities to explore their own attitudes to race, class, and gender issues; and it invites them to look at cultural, economic and institutional pressures on them. (RS)

This manual offers alternatives to high school sociology teachers who wish to enhance their teaching by moving beyond the traditional lecture approach. Exercises and applications directly involve the students in several areas of sociological research. The chapters have several exercises and applications in addition to student activity sheets.…

Basic assumptions of an ecological-behavioral view of assessing behavior disordered students are reviewed along with a proposed method for ecological analysis and specific techniques for measuring ecological variables (such as environmental units, behaviors of significant others, and behavioral expectations). The use of such information in program…