The purpose of this study was to determine what, if any, associations exist between students' academic success on achievement tests and the predictor variables of students' socioeconomic status, participation in an after-school program, and gender. Middlesboro Intermediate School contains a high number of students who participate in the federal…

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…

A program was designed, developed, and implemented to increase the participation of fourth-grade students in a district-wide storytelling festival in Florida. The target school was the only one in the area to send no students to the festival year after year. The program was planned to work with 10 students in a storytelling practicum with 3 goals,…

The California Freshwater Shrimp Project is an example of a student-initiated, eco-action project. Students, from a fourth grade class in the Ross Valley School District in San Rafael, California, were linked to their community and environment through their work in rehabilitating habitat and educating the public. The paper gives an overview of a…

Six fourth graders learned paired associates of their choice under high and low reinforcement conditions. Equivalent lists were also studied as homework on which correct test responses were reinforced equally. The children preferred to study and learned more on the highly reinforced lists during the experimental sessions. (Author/GDC)

This active, interdisciplinary place-based curriculum, which includes a teacher's guide, a student field journal, and a related photo packet introduces fourth and fifth grade students to the concept of landscape and heightens their awareness of the relationship between landscape and people. The curriculum program is designed to introduce students…

A case study explored the roles played by a teacher and her students in a classroom learning community with diverse students as they practiced and developed their literacy knowledge and skills to participate in Book Club, a literature-based instruction program. Specifically, it examines instructional scaffolding, a strategy which assists learners…

A teacher's experiences in teaching French to mixed-ability fourth- and fifth-graders have contributed to the development of an instructional approach that meets the challenges of this age group. The method devotes two-thirds of instructional time to language and one-third to culture. All language activities are conducted in French, and cultural…

This report provides analysis and discussion of the 1996 Rhode Island State Assessment Program performance for grade 4 in mathematics, writing, and health education. It addresses the effects of accommodations and the inclusion of all students in these state assessments, examining some of the characteristics of tests administered to students with…

Classroom participation and nonparticipation were studied for 1,388 fourth graders rated by their teachers as active participators, passive participators, or nonparticipators. Participators appeared distinct on achievement measures since the first grade and maintained those distinctions. Youngsters who withdraw from classroom participation should…

Fourth and fifth graders participated in a study comparing the effects of traditional and modified collaboration models on participation and productivity outcomes. Students in traditional, modified, and control groups completed cooperative projects. Unlike the other groups, control group students had no assigned task roles. The modified and…

The goals of this research were to: (1) develop instruments useful in profiling the characteristics of teaching manuals used with grade 4 science textbooks and the effects of those manuals on teacher and pupil activities; (2) look at both high and low inference perspectives in making these profiles; (3) develop two instruments, one for elementary…

A practicum was designed to utilize various techniques to: (1) improve the involvement of parents and volunteers in the education of fourth grade students; (2) help the students develop a more positive attitude toward self, school, home, and community; and (3) increase students' school attendance rate and participation in school and community…

Classroom activities related to the mathematics achievement level of students in 36 fourth-grade mathematics classes were identified. Engagement in competitive mathematics activities, cooperative mathematics activities, social activities, and off-task behavior was consistently and differentially related to girls' versus boys' low-level and…

This paper reports on a 12-week study of 131 students in eight fourth-grade social studies classrooms in two elementary schools in the southwestern United States with low socioeconomic, high minority populations. Although research has indicated that cooperative learning enhances student achievement, promotes self-esteem, and improves interpersonal…