Describes one teacher's experiences with helping seventh graders become lifelong readers. Discusses the importance of reading aloud to students and how reading, listening, and discussing can help improve writing through the use of reading journals. (MG)

Examines features of science experiments that make them interesting to middle school students (n=59 seventh graders). Compared a model of interest in learning with the reasons students gave for liking experiments. Latent partition analysis was used to derive an empirical model from characteristics of interesting science experiments. (PR)

Presents a two-week lesson designed to begin a year-long world geography course. Provides background and information on the Age of Discovery and the study of geography. Includes maps, study guides, and student readings. (CFR)

Examined data from repeated cross-sectional probability surveys of alcohol/drug use conducted biennially since 1979 in Ontario schools to determine relationships between classroom alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis education and student use of these substances. Found strong inverse association between increases in exposure to alcohol and drug…

Research measured grade 5-7 children (n=73) for intelligence; reading comprehension and both static and working memory in the first (L1) and second language (L2); and linguistic knowledge in L1. Results support the notion that increased speed of basic processing in L2 facilitates higher-level processes involved in linguistic and oral communication…

Thirty-seven elementary and secondary school teachers were surveyed about their knowledge of task-specific study strategies, and 10 were interviewed to validate and extend the survey data. Teachers seldom reported providing students with metacognitive components of strategy instruction. Implications for teacher instruction in study strategies are…

This study investigated return-to-task rates on hard and easy tasks that secondary students projected for scenario characters and for themselves. Data revealed significantly greater rates of return to easy tasks. Girls had significantly higher return-to-task rates. Evidence of self-presentation bias was present. (SM)

Examines a hypothetical curriculum development plan for Texas schools, focusing on the integration of technology skills into seventh-grade history, mathematics, language arts, and science, as well as teacher inservice training. A sidebar outlines technology integration activities for Texas history, the stock market, spreadsheets, creative and…

Compares previous research findings that examine the consistency between a Title I teacher's beliefs about reading and her instructional practices at the third- and seventh-grade levels. Supports (1) the need for teacher improvement programs; (2) the need to coordinate Title I instruction with regular classroom instruction; and (3) the importance…

Describes a form of brief strategic intervention for seventh graders with a history of excessive absenteeism. Presents intervention goals, the necessity of getting the parent(s) involved, identifying the barriers, and removing the barriers. Provides three case samples and discusses preconditions for success. (RJM)

Examined middle school students' knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors regarding bicycle helmet use. Surveys indicated that most rode bicycles but did not use helmets, despite understanding their protective capabilities, because of poor peer support and helmet design. There was a positive relationship between helmet ownership and use. Most…

This study examined whether a curriculum-embedded assessment, the Practical Assessment Exploration System (PAES), could be used with students with disabilities to predict job-related outcomes three to five years later. Results with 103 students assessed in seventh and eighth grades suggest that the PAES offers some promise for evaluating student…

This study of Third International Mathematics and Science Study results addresses the issue of resource availability in rural and urban Australian schools, considering student attitudes toward math and science and career aspirations. Rural schools are more adequately resourced than urban ones. Students' attitudes and aspirations positively affect…

Describes a social studies project cooperatively planned and taught by the library media specialist and a classroom teacher at the Cartersville Middle School in Cartersville, Georgia. The project teaches seventh graders to use traditional research skills as well as technological computer-based research skills to identify, locate, select,…

Three different differential item functioning (DIF) detection methods were used to examine the extent to which items in a mathematics performance assessment functioned differently for matched gender groups from a sample of 1,782 sixth and seventh graders. Implications of the finding that two items were potentially biased are discussed. (SLD)