A quasi-experimental design investigated the effectiveness of three reading intervention types in increasing reading comprehension, both explicit and implicit, using a sample of 78 students, approximately 17% of the population of third through fifth grades at a single-school, rural, K-12, Central Texas school district with an enrollment of…

The Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMP) in the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) (CCSSI 2010) highlight the mathematical habits that educators should be fostering in mathematics classrooms throughout K-grade 12 education. That argumentation and discourse are important components of developing mathematically proficient…

The equipartitioning learning trajectory (Confrey, Maloney, Nguyen, Mojica & Myers, 2009) has been hypothesized and the proficiency levels have been validated through much prior work. This study solidifies understanding of the upper level of co-splitting, which has been redefined through further clinical interview work (Corley, Confrey &…

Educators have long recognized that parental and community supports are important underpinnings for children's success in school. With respect to the teaching of writing, however, little research has been conducted to provide evidence of effective practices teachers use to involve parents and communities. As part of a national Canadian study of…

Describes a teaching experiment conducted with fourth grade students in field of experience of gears. Identifies characteristics which, given suitable sequence of tasks and proper teacher guidance, have enabled pupils to approach theoretical thinking. Presents early findings of the teaching experiments at the external level of interpersonal…

This study examined the theory asserting that partitioning a unit is basic in developing understanding of the different rational number constructs. A fraction sequence was developed in which early experiences with partitioning units were provided. An alternative fraction sequence was designed to include initial activities with pattern blocks in…

The purpose of this study was to provide teachers and principals with concrete evidence to demonstrate that weekly math homework increases academic performance in math. This study focused mainly on homework's effects on quiz scores. It compared quiz scores of students who did homework with those who did not. The subjects of this study included 21…

Provides an overview of the conceptual analysis of the unit fraction that provided the framework for developing a comprehensive array of fraction activities for fourth-grade students. Reveals the students' difficulties in learning the unit-fraction concept and discusses the didactical implications of these difficulties. Contains 15 references.…

A study examined the effectiveness of semantic mapping instruction as a technique for increasing vocabulary. Subjects, 38 fourth grade students in two classrooms, were divided into experimental and control groups. Both groups were pretested for their knowledge of selected words taken from the Scott, Foresman Reading Program, Grade Four. The…

An instructional study was conducted (1) to explore the efficacy of using an explicit instruction model versus a basal approach to teach the comprehension or critical reading skills of discerning fact and opinion and evaluating evidence, and (2) to learn whether adding a functional aspect to the instruction would affect the students' acquisition…

A study evaluated the effectiveness of a direct instructional paradigm for teaching children to comprehend main ideas of prose passages. Subjects, 69 children in three fourth grade classes, were randomly assigned to an experimental "strategy" group receiving direct instruction in main ideas, an experimental "basal" group…

Presents a mathematics activity using hand-held technology that can be used with elementary school students. Uses graphing calculators and calculator-based laboratories in this activity. (Contains 11 references.) (ASK)

This six month study investigated the similarities and differences between 137 fourth graders' understanding of and reasoning about multiplication, division, and proportion tasks. All students were administered a pretest mid-year and a posttest at the end of year. A sample of 18 students was interviewed individually on tasks involving reasoning…

Describes fourth graders' observations and hypotheses about the sun and moon and how the three-dimensional reality gradually replaced the inadequate two-dimensional models of textbooks. Discusses implications for instruction of this progression from concrete to abstract. (HTH)

Schumacher and Nash (1991) theorize that writing provides an avenue for people to reorganize their knowledge. Kieren (1988) is one of several researchers who theorize that children's school fraction experiences should begin with personal knowledge of fractions. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not children who engaged in…