Although visual complexity is increasing and graphics are essential to support readers' comprehension of disciplinary texts, visual literacy receives scant attention. Research suggests that effectively instructing students to interpret discipline-specific graphics would yield better comprehension. However, before this line of inquiry can be…

This experimental study examined how the presence of visual diagrams in 2 science texts affected the independent reading comprehension of 213 fourth-grade students in the southeastern United States. In addition, the relative impact of 3 diagram designs and layout (representational, interpretational, or integrated) was compared with a control.…

In this study, the student texts and teacher guides of two reading intervention programs for at-risk, first-grade students were analyzed and compared: Fountas and Pinnell's "Leveled Literacy Intervention" (LLI) and Scott Foresman's "My Sidewalks" (MS). The analyses drew on the framework of available theory and…

To promote a relational understanding of the equal sign (=), students may require exposure to a variety of equation types (i.e., 3 = 8 - 5; 2 + 3 = 1 + 4; 9 - 3 = 6). The purpose of this study was to evaluate 8 elementary curricula for degree of exposure to equation types. Across 6 elementary grade levels, curricula were coded for the number of…

This study explored a group of elementary teachers' ("n" = 35) learning to construct high-quality lesson plans that foster student understanding of fundamental mathematical ideas. The conceptual framework for this study was gleaned from the recently released Institute of Education Sciences (IES) recommendations, including (a)…

International comparisons have highlighted that the U.S. mathematics curriculum, both in terms of curriculum influences (e.g., textbooks, standards) and actual instruction, is broad and shallow. Standards-based reform is explicitly designed to improve coherence and reduce redundancy across grades. This article evaluates the redundancy of…

This study examined two upper-elementary teachers' learning through use of potentially educative mathematics curricular materials without additional professional development. Findings indicated that curricular materials can be an effective professional development tool for some teachers. One teacher's instructional focus and rationale for…

Studied the role of textbooks in elementary education. Found that the influence of textbooks on teachers' thinking and on classroom instruction was somewhat less than the literature indicates. Patterns of textbook use were not consistent across academic subjects. Conditions of elementary education encourage selective and variable textbook use. (BB)

Examines the relationship between some fifth graders' misconceptions about light, the science textbook the students used, their classroom instruction, and what they learned. Presents the "stories of cognitive learning" of six students in the class. (RH)

The level of assigned reading in textbooks is compared with the measured reading ability of pupils in the elementary grades 1-5. Results identify problem areas in the implementation of individualized instruction. (CS)

Examined effects of using textbook alternatives on six fifth graders' experiences learning about American history. Found that students preferred alternative texts. Using multiple sources raised no questions for students about validity and reliability of evidence. Students used an information-quantity criterion to judge validity of evidence. Three…

Analyzed how computation is developed in three Japanese primary-grade textbook series by focusing on differences in presentation. Found that goals are similar but the methods and materials of presentation are very different, and that a much higher level of computational facility at the end of grade three is expected of Japanese students than of…

Redesigned curriculum materials support curricular and pedagogical change in mathematics education in uncommon ways. Observation of two fourth-grade teachers using a new mathematics textbook focused on the learning that occurred and the pertinent characteristics of the text, the teachers, and the teaching context. Activities such as analyzing…