Results of a recent study indicate that, when students write about relevant, personal experiences prior to reading a literary text, their understanding and engagement in the text are significantly improved. Recommends autobiographical writing before a reading assignment. (22 references) (MLF)

Summarizes findings of several major middle schools reports, highlighting the National Middle School Association's publication "This We Believe" (1982), NASSP's "An Agenda for Excellence at the Middle Level" (1985), the California State Department of Education's "Caught in the Middle" (1987), and the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development's…

As an aid and reference for administrators, quotes and extracts from 122 documents have been assembled by the author to summarize the arguments over the relative merits of junior high schools as opposed to middle schools. The materials are drawn from a literature search of the ERIC system, the National Diffusion Network, library resources, and…

The whole middle school movement is based on the knowledge that children between the ages of 10 and 14 have special developmental needs. Summarizes recent research findings. A sidebar lists eight recommendations for middle school executives adapted from the Carnegie Corporation document "Turning Points: Preparing American Youth for the 21st…

Safe, noncontroversial social studies textbooks are neither meaningful nor necessary according to many students. As an alternative, teachers can integrate well-written trade books into the social studies curriculum. Well-researched diaries, journals, biographies, and autobiographies should become an integral part of the curriculum. (28 references)…

A study of three middle school principals about their instructional leadership activities before and after the establishment of shared decision making revealed an enhancement of leadership. The nature of the middle school teacher's role demands participative leadership and communication and decision making revolved around instructional issues.…

This paper examines the theories of Herman T. Epstein, who has suggested that there may be a correlation between Piaget's stages of intellectual development and the brain growth stages. Epstein's research has indicated that the human brain grows in spurts rather than in simple linear increments across time. Of special significance to educators is…

The ages between 10 and 14 years represent a period of transition between childhood and adolescence when feelings of confusion, anxiety, excitement, and frustration are widely experienced. During this period, early adolescents undergo major developmental changes. Educators working with these young people need accurate knowledge of early…

To examine the existence of short term indicators of long term program results, studies and autobiographical/biographical material of gifted individuals were reviewed. Analysis yielded a checklist of 25 characteristics purported to lead to satisfaction as adults. The checklist items are explained to include the following self perceptions of gifted…

Many positive articles have appeared recently concerning the School Health Curriculum Project (SHCP), also known as the Berkeley Project. This article evaluates SHCP as a health education curriculum, something other articles did not do. (JMK)

Through a review of the transition literature and a survey of 225 students about to enter middle school, the most significant anxieties identified were the following: (1) space concerns about a new and larger building, especially getting lost and being late to class; (2) contact with older and possibly rougher students; and (3) heavy homework…

Forming teams is the logical first step in the transition to middle school from junior high school. Offers 10 questions that middle-level educators should ask as they embark upon this new venture of interdisciplinary teaming. (13 references) (MLF)

Describes successful programs in urban middle schools that focus on bringing students and their families together. (MLF)

In recent years, there has been a rapid growth of interest in Sweden in vertically integrated classes in compulsory schools, especially at junior high school and intermediate grade levels. This development is supported in various ways by the curriculum, partly because it puts more emphasis than previous curricula on the occurrence of teaching…

Research evidence suggests that the most important condition for language learning is hearing it spoken often and well. Central to a language program must be the cultivation of listening skills. Such training not only enhances the likelihood of success in learning a second language, but careful discrimination is essential for all learning. (26…