Argues that a well-planned science lesson is also a language lesson and that many of the skills cited in Science in the National Curriculum can also be regarded as language skills. Discusses the acquisition of scientific language by children. (DDR)

Describes a game developed for school children which addresses part of the Science National Curriculum. The board is a human body with organs on view. Questions relate to different organ systems, body parts, and processes. Topics include breathing, digestion and metabolism, blood and circulation, and the sensory organs and teeth. (AIM)

Provides an overview of information technology (IT) in primary schools in the United Kingdom. The national curriculum is explained, including attainment targets for IT; examples of activities using computers in the classroom are described; the need for adequate inservice teacher education is discussed; and future possibilities are considered. (LRW)

Describes restructuring in a Western Australian school district. Provides background information and summarizes findings of a case study exploring what primary teachers thought about the restructuring of their work. The 60 teachers interviewed generally thought the restructuring process negatively influenced their curriculum work. Teachers felt…

Presents the results of a survey of teachers on the use of games in science teaching. Teachers were more likely to use games in mathematics or language arts than in science. Findings indicate that if science games were more widely available, less expensive, and relevant to the National Curriculum, teachers would be more likely to use them as a…

Provides an account of one teacher's experiences creating and learning to market educational games. Urges others to consider developing educational resources. (DDR)

Examines the similarities and differences in the methodologies and findings of six projects that investigated the statutory testing of 11-year-old children in England and Wales. Reveals a similarity of results despite a diversity of methods. Reviews the findings in relation to other research and provides suggestions for future research methods.…

Discusses "Building a Literate Nation" (1997) which offers "the strategic agenda for literacy for the next five years." Finds that it offers no clear way forward for those who teach underachievers, especially with regard to teaching reading. (PA)

In Scottish primary schools, "setting" refers to arranging pupils for a given curriculum area in separate classes with different teachers, based on pupils' attainment in that particular area. This research studied four Primary 7 classes in Scotland, in which setting was used for the teaching of mathematics and English in 3 of the 4…

Summer schools are an integral part of the Key Stage 3 of England's National Literacy Strategy. They play an important role in giving students, who are still at Level 3 in the National Curriculum tests, a flying start to their secondary school career by making links between the Year 6 and Year 7 curriculum. Students are expected to achieve the…

In primary and secondary education in the Netherlands, 30% of the schools are public, and 70% are private. Both private and public schools are state funded and must follow the national curriculum. Within this context, schools can develop their own identities and teaching methods. With regard to the identity of public education in the Netherlands,…

Presents a study designed to determine which particular aspects of pregnancy, birth, and babies were of most interest to 8-year-old children. Children were interested in details of a baby's behavior and development as well as the impact of its arrival on the parents. There were distinct gender differences in those topics, which particularly…

This paper examines the complexity of teaching handwriting to meet the requirements of Great Britain's National Curriculum. Three major questions are considered: (1) what should be taught? (2) what are the teaching objectives? and (3) how will pupil progress be assessed? (JDD)

Described is the Vale Interactive Science and Technology Adventure (VISTA) center that caters specifically to primary school students, involves concepts and skills from the National Curriculum, and researches playing children's patterns of learning. The plans for the future and early descriptions of students reactions are reported. (KR)

Addresses the effectiveness of teaching methods in English primary school classrooms. Evaluates the interventions designed to change primary educators' teaching methods by replicating the Observational Research and Classroom Learning Evaluation (ORACLE) study that was originally conducted in 1976. Compares the results from the original study to…