Focuses on children of the 21st century and their books, both of which have changed dramatically over the past decade. Suggests that teachers and librarians need to recognize and understand the implications of these changes in children and their books in order to provide a reading environment to which children will readily relate and in which they…

The article describes a data-based method by which teachers can differentiate motivational problems from learning problems and increase the academic performance of learners with mildly handicapping conditions. The method involves graphing work attempted and percentage correct, reinforcing work attempted, and analyzing performance data for…

Describes how storytelling can enhance both literal and inferential comprehension, motivate oral discussion, increase perceptual knowledge of metaphor, explain and promote interesting language usage, instill deeper meaning to children's personal experiences, and excite children about literature, storytelling, and creative interpretations of story.…

Discusses common challenges in motivating student employees, recommends motivational methods and supervisory management styles, and describes how the system works when these recommendations are used. It is concluded that supervisors need to implement student employment policies and activities that maximize student employee usefulness and…

Provides a guide for helping students perform melodramas via the intercom. The benefits include motivating students to read and heightening student self-esteem. Suggests five elements for a successful performance: a clearly written script, rehearsals, optimal voice levels and microphone distance, an introduction by the principal, and…

This book focuses on one of the key questions in education: What determines a student's success? Based on twenty years of work on student success, Ray Padilla here presents two related models he has developed that both provide a framework for understanding success and indicate how it can be enhanced and replicated. The research and theory that…

This book examines issues and questions surrounding student achievement, combining research with practice to present an overview of current efforts to foster student learning in the United States at local, state, and national levels. Following the preface and introduction, which stress the importance of focusing on students, chapter 1 examines the…

Communication instructors rely on textbook writers to present the latest course content in ways that will motivate students to learn and prepare them for class discussion and activities. Targeting the works they create to reflect student needs and shaping their materials to stimulate and involve their readers, these textbook writers-as-artists…

Contingency packages can be incorporated into classroom management techniques for reluctant learners (who may have already experienced failure in education) to encourage enthusiasm and motivation for learning. Suggestions are provided for implementing programs using a robot or football concepts. (CB)

Suggests ways community college journalism instructors can recruit and retain students in journalism classes (e.g., host a high school press day, fund a journalism scholarship, sponsor events for high school journalism teachers and advisers, serve as counselor for journalism majors, have a yearly journalism convocation, and involve campus…

Preparing and telling stories in the classroom is fun for both teacher and student, and stories have great value as motivational tools to enhance instruction. Students who have difficulty recalling facts from the textbook easily remember the concepts that are contained within a story. Stories seem to provide frameworks that aid understanding and…

This paper discusses toilet training children with autism using techniques recommended by TEACCH consultants. It recommends looking at the problem from the perspective of the student with autism in order to build in many elements of visual structure that will help the child understand exactly what is expected. Teachers are urged to look at each…

This brochure for educators discusses underachievement and gifted students. The causes of underachievement are reviewed, which include parents who do not stress the importance of academic achievement and do not set high standards, divorce or strained relations between the family members, peer group pressure, an unchallenging and unmotivating…

Discusses the planning and preparation necessary to make field trips economically justifiable and educationally worthwhile. Student orientations and positive motivation are essential for successful fieldtrips. A description of a well-planned field trip to Rockport, Massachusetts, for a high school portfolio art class is included. (AM)

This article criticizes classroom traditions and environmental factors that serve to limit and impair students' creativity. Steps required for a more creative classroom are discussed, including adequate "think time," conducive supplies and surroundings, a risk-free environment, empowerment to think independently, and teachers who model creative…