Follows the development, from fifth grade through eighth grade, of a student poet, who can teach educators what it means to "feel expressed." Offers new ways to think about who children are, what they need to say, and what they need to be taught. Discusses the possibilities of poetry for gaining access to children's deepest capacities for…

Reviews 17 recent young adult books that might appeal to the late elementary/middle school/junior-high-age children. Discusses the use of corollary text to help readers make connections between recent young adult literature and older, often classic literature. (MG)

Describes a two-year teacher research project on how one teacher improved writing workshops for her middle school students. (SR)

Describes how learning contracts (written agreements between a teacher and a student) help meet the needs of both middle school students and teachers. Discusses reappearing themes about contracts, how contracts meet teacher needs, program design and preliminaries, peer-to-peer cooperation, flexible grouping and minilessons, readings, exhibitions,…

Describes the Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) computer program developed at the University of Arizona. Explains that HOTS attempts to build thinking skills, encourage self-confidence, and improve standardized test scores, especially in reading and mathematics, among at-risk students in grades four through seven. (SG)