Addresses the difficulties in assessing the receptive capacity and learning style of a child and matching it to the instructional aspects of schooling. Describes a teacher sensitization course that has been developed to make such matching possible. (WD)

Young children think and learn differently, yet early childhood education is now subject to new pressures. Many believe that early exposure to technology accelerates mental development and improves sensory and mental capacity. There is no factual support for this idea. Children who grow up with technology are not necessarily more proficient with…

Summarizes a recent Center for Research on Elementary and Middle Schools (CREMS) literature review on effective kindergarten and preschool programs. Over the past 20 years, kindergarten enrollment has expanded, the students are older, and the days are getting longer. Preschool enrollment has also grown tremendously. Effective programs are briefly…

This Research Report summarizes various strategies that have been found to help struggling students succeed without having to repeat a grade. They include aligning instruction with standards, providing "early warning" assessments, multiage grouping, accelerated learning, increased professional development for teachers working with low-performing…

Reviews breakthrough studies in the development of higher mental processes. These studies include: (1) influences on talent development; (2) the relative effects of tutoring, mastery learning, and conventional group instruction on student achievement; (3) the importance of cognitive prerequisites; (4) textbook organization; and (5) methods of…

The importance of the principal's role in making a teacher's first year successful is documented in this Research Report, which examines the needs of new teachers and how they can be addressed. It discusses problems related to their inexperience and how principals can instill in them the confidence they often lack. (Contains 4 online resources.)

Depicts two common views of the principal--the effective leader and the low-profile administrator--and outlines a more realistic view: the principal who realizes constraints but exercises authority as fully as possible. (Author/JM)

Programs for the gifted typically offer an increased workload or linear acceleration of subject matter. Gifted children really need a qualitatively different curriculum that considers their preferred learning styles. This article discusses relevant research findings and suggests ways of incorporating them into a gifted program. (WD)

Long term studies of students who participated in preschool education programs show that the differences and effects are not in test scores but in children's ability to meet teachers' expectations and to avoid being labeled failures.(MD)

In spite of inherent role ambiguity, effective principals create clear images of what their school can be. Then, using their understanding of the community, their organizational setting, and their own abilities, resources, and strategies, they structure their work, set priorities, and adapt their leadership styles to make their visions realities.…

Introducing a group of articles on middle schools, this article outlines the middle school's purpose, the best ways of teaching and disciplining their students, and the important roles of their principals. (JM)

Schools across the country are investing millions of dollars every year in technology, and statistics show that technology in schools has grown at an exponential rate (Dirksen and Tharp 2000; Heath et al. 2000). But are schools getting the most from their technology investment? In this article, the author cites research literature to support his…

Research evidence now lends legitimacy to the importance of the principal's instructional leadership in promoting school effectiveness. (Author/JM)

Examines the focus of 10 recent reports of importance to elementary principals and provides editorial comments on each. Categories of the reports include the following: schooling, Department of Education initiatives, literacy, teachers, and school effectiveness. (IW)

Preschool intervention may be effective for economically disadvantaged children but not for middle-class children. Yet many preschool children need universally available day care. The best way to provide this would be to work with the schools. The author promotes the return to concept of the community school as a local center for all social…