Introduces a geology unit investigating rocks for fourth grade elementary students. Describes three students' academic improvement as an example of program effectiveness. (YDS)

Suggests that teachers can take advantage of children's interest in the Pokemon game to teach worthwhile lessons about how words are developed. Shows how, by analyzing Pokemon names, kids can learn the linguistic concept of morphology. (SR)

The Chesapeake (Virginia) Public Schools' Laboratory School for the Academically Gifted provides gifted fifth- and sixth-graders with a one-day-a-week program of enhanced instruction. The school district's evaluation found high satisfaction with the program among students, parents, teachers, and administrators, but better communication between the…

Fourth graders built a model windmill using a three-step process: (1) open exploration of designs; (2) application of a standard model incorporating features of suggested designs; and (3) refinement of preliminary models. The approach required math, science, and technology teacher collaboration and adequate time. (Contains 21 references.) (SK)

Considers that when students from different ethnic backgrounds interact in multicultural schools, misunderstandings can arise due to the uncertainties present in encounters between people from different backgrounds. Identifies experiences students report as promoting positive interethnic relationships and those which negatively impact interethnic…

Reports on the achievement of 177 sixth grade mathematics students who were studied over two consecutive years. The purpose of the study was to determine whether learning and achievement were optimal in heterogeneous or homogeneous ability groups. Results show a significant difference between posttest scores of the 1995-1996 heterogeneous cohort…

An extension of G. L. Cates et al. (2003) investigation was conducted to determine if students' cumulative learning rates would be superior for words read under a traditional drill and practice condition (as they were for spelling in the previous study) than under interspersal conditions of varying ratios of unknown to known words. Participants…

The current study examined the mutual influence of parenting and boys' externalizing behavior from 4th to 8th grade, how these relationships change as children develop, and the stability of parenting and child behavior in a sample of 122 boys. Child behavior predicted poor parental monitoring at 6th and 7th grade and inconsistent discipline at all…

This study involving 38 normally achieving fourth and fifth grade children confirmed previous studies indicating that both spatial-simultaneous (in which perceived stimuli are totally available at one point in time) and verbal-successive (information is presented in serial order) cognitive processing are important in normal learning. (DB)

The relations between word knowledge and reading comprehension for good and poor readers were studied using various formats. Subjects were 50 fifth and sixth graders who read at grade level and 50 tenth graders who read at a sixth-grade level. Results are discussed. (Author/MT)

Examined planned parental involvement as part of affective education program. Assigned fifth and sixth grade students (N=231) from two schools to either affective education group, affective education and parental involvement group, or control group. Students completed pre- and post-tests measuring self-esteem, alternative thinking, and reading…

A teacher describes how a cardboard box tunnel was used to capitalize on children's fascination with boxes. The finished tunnel offers opportunities for honing math and writing skills. Layouts for tunnels and related activities are suggested. (MT)

Assessment of effects of school principal involvement on acquisition of multiplication facts by 309 intermediate grade students found that taking the timed test three times per week resulted in consistent sustained gains and that a math game with the principal contingent on improved class performance was the most effective principal-initiated…

The semantic usage of five learning disabled (LD) and five nonlearning disabled sixth-grade boys in conversational interaction with an adult and with peers was analyzed. Results indicated that, overall, LD and non-LD boys were highly similar in meaning usage and showed internal consistency of meaning usage across interaction types. (Author/DB)

Intermediate grade students (N=98) in behavior disordered and learning disabled classrooms were divided into experimental and control groups and were administered pre- and post-tests of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking. Experimental subjects who participated in the Purdue Creative Thinking Program made significantly greater scores than did…