This article takes a detailed look at how a group of 10-year-old boys mutually construct an evolving multilinear scenario whilst playing a storytelling game in class, borrowing from a number of genres and forms of engagement in ICT-mediated popular culture to perform for each other in patterns which defy linear description or analysis. Their…

This qualitative study examines how Hmong parents and professional staff at one elementary school perceive home-school relations and how they construct racial and ethnic identities of Hmong children. The study was conducted at a Midwestern elementary school where the Hmong student population is over 50% and where five Hmong staff members are…

Creating accessible and engaging lessons for students with reading disabilities (RD) in inclusive classrooms is particularly challenging for special educators in upper elementary and middle school settings. Older students with RD have difficulty accessing the texts that serve as the basis for instruction, and years of repeated failure can leave…

Research has found that literacy in the first language of a student of English as a second language (ESL) aids in the acquisition of English, but there has been little exploration of the processes that underlie this. This pilot project investigates children's experiences of literacy in their first language (Hebrew), instruction in strategies…

Swaziland is planning to introduce inclusive education as part of education for all. The innovation may benefit learners with emotional and behavioural disorders (EBD). A purposive teacher sample (N = 47) was used to generate and identify behavioural problems that are prevalent in Swazi schools. Aggression was one of the many conduct disorders…

This study investigated the comparability of scores for paper and computer versions of a writing test administered to eighth grade students. Two essay prompts were given on paper to a nationally representative sample as part of the 2002 main NAEP writing assessment. The same two essay prompts were subsequently administered on computer to a second…

This column presents and summarizes recent resources that discuss some problems and solutions related to elementary education in inner-city urban areas. (Contains 6 Web resources.)

The "Robot Roadshow Program" is designed to increase the interest of elementary school children in technical disciplines, specifically math and science. The program focuses on children from schools categorized as rural or underserved, which often have limited access to advanced technical resources. We developed the program using robots…

This paper is based on my recent experiences as a classroom teacher in Coconut Island State School on Poruma (Coconut Island), a Torres Strait primary school, and discusses best practice in explicitly instructing Islander students in Standard Australian English grammar. I argue for a variety of approaches, informed by a careful consideration of…

Argues that limited English speaking minority students can succeed in a classroom where only English is spoken. Presents strategies for effective culturally based instruction designed to reduce the effects of culture conflict and improve opportunities for academic success. (FMW)

Analysis of the problems of French-speaking Ontarian minority students suggests that they are able to build on the different communicative resources they bring to the task to jointly or variably address multiple embedded discourse and task and social functions, thereby extending their use and awareness of language. (Author/BJV)

First-language acquisition of Turkish 4- to 8-year-olds in a Dutch submersion environment in the Netherlands was studied. Investigation of the development of lexical, morphosyntactic, and pragmatic abilities and comparison with children in Turkey suggested that the acquisition of first-language skills by Turkish children in the Netherlands is…

Measures of self-concept and level of acculturation obtained from 44 male and 48 female Anglo American and 103 male and 116 female Mexican-American students from one rural and one urban school district showed no overall ethnic differences for: behavior, happiness-satisfaction, intellectual/school status, physical appearance, anxiety, popularity.…

Assessed the effects of a six-week extracurricular hands-on science program using portfolio artifacts, inquiry-guided exploration, and socially assisted learning on interest and learning about biology in third, fourth, and fifth graders. Found significant increases in science interest and improvement in problem-solving skills. Girls had more…

Analyzed statewide elementary and secondary school data from the Kansas Writing Assessment to examine the effects on student writing performance of student choice of topic and teacher choice (related to extent of engagement and amount of time allowed for writing processes). Results find the effect of choice is negligible, though it promotes good…