The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is the largest, most comprehensive, and rigorous international study of schools and student achievement ever conducted. During the 1995 school year, the study tested the mathematics and science knowledge of a half-million students from 41 nations at five different grade levels. This…

In this classroom a child introduced the word "split" when he was asked to describe his mental activity in performing the addition of two numbers; the teacher initiated a spatial representation using a broken line. Subsequently, the children used their own pictorial representations. The paper presents an analysis of the numerical diagrams used by…

Describes a year-long process in which a group of fourth- and fifth-grade students with diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds learned to participate in reading, writing, and talking about books in a literature-based instructional program. Reveals a gradual release of responsibility from the teacher to students as they developed the knowledge…

Recounts how five teachers promoted discussions where students initiated their own inquiries, helped each other probe their self-initiated inquiries rather than wait for teacher follow-up questions, and responded naturally to each other rather than wait for teacher permission to speak. Notes that group response extended individual responses. (SR)

A general framework for assessing differential functioning of items and tests (DFIT) that was recently proposed is expanded to include differential bundle functioning as a mechanism for identifying sources of differential functioning. The expansion is illustrated with a dataset of 4000 fourth-grade students from a reading comprehension…

Draws on research in a fourth-grade classroom to show that teachers can teach composing strategies that encourage a variety of ways of interacting socially while writing. Shares various views of social interaction and student choice in writing classrooms as a way of establishing support for exploration of the social interactions that occurred in…

A national survey of state-articulated student goals and outcomes led to the analysis of documents from 30 states for correspondence with the outcomes specified for grade 4 in the conceptual model developed by the National Center on Educational Outcomes for Students with Disabilities (NCEO). Overall, the study found moderately high correspondence…

The "Alcohol: The Gateway Drug" program and curriculum was developed in response to the prevalent use of alcohol by young people today and the difficulty of incorporating alcohol prevention into other substance abuse prevention programs. The main objective of the program was to provide alcohol prevention education services to fourth-graders in…

This report describes and evaluates two programs which deal with chronic status offenders: the Grimes Alternative School Program, a delinquency prevention project which targets intermediate school (grades 4 and 5) students with chronic discipline and/or truant behaviors, and the Home Remedies Program, a short-term crisis intervention and…

Finds that engaged reading occurred in a fourth-grade classroom when students and teachers used interpretive tools to select, connect, and organize information in the text to construct meaningful interpretations and that there were cognitive, metacognitive, and motivational components to the engagement observed. (PA)

Noting that existing research reveals considerable diversity among researchers' philosophical stances toward literature-based reading instruction versus traditional basal reading instruction, a study determined what effects literature-based instruction had on the reading achievement of fourth graders. Subjects, fourth-grade students of the John P.…

A study examined the retelling performance of the novice compared with that of the expert and the effect of retelling practice on comprehension for both proficient and less proficient readers. Thirty-six fourth graders (20 proficient and 16 less proficient readers) were randomly assigned to one of four story sessions. Across the four sessions all…

Examines the use of the Herringbone technique as a writing tool with fourth-grade children. Notes that the Herringbone technique provides students with a structure for identifying and organizing important story elements and observing relationships when reading or writing. Demonstrates that the Herringbone strategy is a useful tool for effective…

Attempts to address, on behalf of the teacher of reading, some pedagogically significant aspects of metacognition. Tests the effect of using Metacognitive Awareness Guidance (MCAG) in reading assessment tasks given to nine-year-old Israeli pupils. Notes teachers' reactions related to four aspects: use of self-talk, use of metacognitive learning…

Uses literature discussion as a vehicle for encouraging fourth-grade students to reflect critically on injustice in their own lives. Notes that reflection is a basic skill and an important reading strategy all too often ignored or unacknowledged. Suggests that reflection is the very core of learning rather than an extra or supplementary reading…