The theoretical roots of sentence combining as a pedagogical strategy are discussed in this paper, along with recent studies of the development of written syntactic maturity. The paper examines several major sentence combining studies in detail and briefly summarizes additional relevant literature. The instructional implications of sentence…

Computer programs designed for testing and teaching language comprehension and for evaluating language production skills through the analysis of free speech samples in mentally retarded students are described. (JMK)

There is little empirical evidence that home-school education is as academically effective as traditional education, or that average and above-average academic achievement is sustained through high school. A sample of 110 home-schooled students (59 males, 51 females, ages 5 years 3 months to 19 years 6 months) were administered the…

Current approaches to helping students learn, chiefly in Britain and involving groups rather than individuals, are reviewed and related to research on learning. Four issues are explored: learning and studying; problems of subject and context; change, autonomy and the learner; and the relationship between research and development. (Author/JMD)

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THIS DOCUMENT: In general, coaching improves student scores on achievement and aptitude tests--including the SAT--but not very much. While the SAT is not invulnerable to coaching programs, only a few students have found impressive results. Coaching produces the following average gains: On the SAT, .15 standard…

This literature review cautions that the issue of whether promotion or retention is more beneficial to student achievement is especially murky when it becomes a political decision. It concludes that grade retention seems to ignore the question of instructional effectiveness, blames the child for failure, and absolves the school of responsibility.…

Surveys some of the research concerning underlining and notetaking and draws from it some suggestions for using the two study techniques in the classroom. (FL)

Explains the rationale behind freshman English course assignments in writing, a rationale based on conclusions of three research projects that relate to the writing process. (MKM)

Reports on a study to determine the impact of feedback on academic achievement. Finds that students who received daily feedback scored significantly better on tests than students who received partial or no feedback. Maintains that the benefits to students outweigh any difficulties for teachers. (CFR)

This article chronicles the development of level systems designed for students with significant behavior problems, to foster student improvement through self-management and positive reinforcement. The article examines assumptions underlying level systems' concepts and components and offers recommendations to guide future research into the design…

A literature review focused on ways for teachers to increase students' motivation. A total of 37 annotations were organized in terms of positive and negative effects of rewards on students' motivation, the issue of whether negative effects of rewards can be manipulated to have a positive effect, and suggestions for the classroom teacher on the use…

Examines recent research that uses protocol analysis to determine the cognitive processes used by writers in planning their work. (FL)

This study examines the process through which the Commission on Public Secondary Schools of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC/CPSS) accredits the public high schools of New England. The commission is one of five that compose the association. Recent efforts of government agencies to hold schools accountable by testing…

This research review indicates that gifted students spontaneously utilize self-regulatory learning strategies more frequently than nongifted students. When trained to use strategies, gifted students also use them more effectively and can transfer these strategies to novel tasks. Self-regulation measures may be useful in diagnosing giftedness, and…

This article reviews 15 empirical studies in the area of academic skill improvement for students with behavior disorders being served in public school settings. The review addresses the nature of the samples, dependent variables, independent variables, and results. It concludes that the studies contain much useful information for practitioners and…