When one thinks of a "concept map," they usually think of a chartlike graphic that describes a concept and its various relationships, with general concepts at the top, specific supporting concepts toward the bottom, and words and lines showing the connections and flow between the concepts. Some think of concept maps as tools for teachers of upper…

Part of growing up involves discovering social power, the power of the group, and the power of words. Victims of chronic harassment are at serious risk for poor mental and physical health, as well as academic underachievement. A good way to start simultaneously protecting at-risk victims while explaining to parents of non-victims that what appears…

Highlights identified patterns of pupil perception observed during an experimental study concerning 10-year-olds who were supporting one another in small groups of three as they were verbally preparing for an argumentative writing task. Exemplifies the perspective-taking strategies used by participants to assist each other and make themselves…

This article shares the personal opinions of eight physical education teachers. The educators briefly share their feelings on structured recess.

Effective advocacy is built on relationships, so communication must be ongoing and begin long before there are any problems. Waiting for a crisis to arise is an ineffective way to ensure that the best decisions will be made. When parents need to talk about their child's needs or they want to influence a pending decision, it will be easier if they…

This article reflects on what it means for teachers to put relationships with children as the priority in their practice. The authors focus on four themes that they believe are at the heart of a good relationship: (1) recognition; (2) familiarity; (3) respect; and (4) commitment. "Recognition" is acknowledging another person's presence and…

Recent insights on how the brain functions suggest that people learn in holistic contexts, and that the brain does not work well when presented with isolated pieces of knowledge. A lesson for teaching third graders about letter writing illustrates how such insights can be useful in the language arts classroom. The goal of this letter-writing…

Aspects of the spoken language development of the preschool and primary school child are briefly covered, with specific attention given to receptive and expressive language, semantics, syntax, memory, articulation, pragmatics, and metalanguage. Developmental norms are indicated in the areas of vocabulary development, sentence structure…

For the past 10 summers a rural Ohio farm family, convinced of the merits of involving children in farm experiences and/or plant and animal care, has shared its farmstead with approximately 3,000 urban elementary school children. This paper discusses the impact of farm experiences on children's development, exploring rural community life among the…

This booklet provides an assortment of materials relating to a cognitive approach to community-based multicultural education. In a brief discussion, the first article presents a preliminary formulation of some views about multicultural education. The text includes a list of basic skills and thinking processes which may be taught and learned…

The importance of students' nonverbal communication in classroom interaction is pointed out in this short essay. Several examples of nonverbal communication are provided in order to illustrate the confusion in classrooms which can result from teachers' lack of understanding of pupils' conscious and unconscious attempts to communicate nonverbally.…

This summary of a 3-day informal gathering hosted by the Children's Broadcast Institute in October 1977 for producers, programmers, writers, researchers, advertisers, and consumers, includes introductory remarks by Dr. Fred B. Rainsberry, brief bibliographies of the speakers and workshop participants, the agenda, and summaries of presentations by…

Identifies kinds of thinking that fit naturally into elementary social studies curricula, using models of thinking that are not complex. Models include general problem solving skills and skills pertaining to specific types of intellectual tasks, such as comprehending information, solving specific problems, researching topics, and making decisions.…

Asserts that for healthy development, people need to feel safe and to trust, but that there is danger in the world and there are some who ought not to be trusted. Discusses elementary school counselor's role in helping children decide whom to trust and how they inspire trust in others, thereby helping them make fewer errors in trusting. (NB)

Maintains that the nurturance of the humanness of children should be a top priority in their education. (BB)