Presents study results examining the effectiveness of teacher praise on children's on-task behavior. Describes Canter's Assertive Discipline, its use in Australia, and the basics of a study of the technique. Reports that all teacher subjects increased rates of praising following training, and all but one student improved levels of behavior.…

Peers of a socially rejected seventh-grade girl were rewarded for publicly reporting positive aspects of the girl's behavior. Results indicated that positive peer reports reduced negative social interactions to near zero and increased positive interactions to above 70%. In addition, social acceptance ratings of the girl increased from…

This article provides information for early childhood educators so that they will understand what goes into the task of building positive relationships with children. Having a warm and open relationship with his or her teacher or child care provider is identified as an important protective factor for young children. Empirical evidence for the…

The authors examine positive behavioral support (PBS) as a behavior management intervention that facilitates the development of appropriate and positive behaviors in culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) children who are at risk for failure in urban schools. One of the major problems facing urban schools today is the abuse and misuse of…

Research has suggested that the use of effective instructional strategies could be increased through direct intervention. One possible intervention is performance feedback, a simple yet effective method of consultation for influencing teacher behavior. Mortenson and Witt (1998) defined performance feedback as "a method of providing…

Transitions between activities can be difficult for both young children and their teachers. Multiple strategies may be used to decrease the likelihood that children engage in challenging behavior during transitions. This paper will describe strategies teachers may use to decrease or prevent problem behavior during transitions. Particular attention…

Thirteen studies were conducted that focused on whether preschool and elementary school students with mild and moderate disabilities learned target and non-target behaviors when two types of instructional manipulations were made to direct instructional trial sequences. In one type, the related, non-target behaviors were presented during…

Designed to be used by practicing teachers, students who are learning to become teachers, and faculty members who instruct such students, this manual describes an instructional manipulation for teaching children with mild disabilities that increases opportunities for learning through the addition of extra information. The technique described uses…

This manual is designed to train teachers to prevent and cope with disruptive student behavior. The focus is on dealing with mainstreamed students with special emotional needs. The manual's six modules can be used by instructors with a general competence in special education. The first module explores behavior values, standards and limits. Module…

Teachers and teacher educators seem to be little aware of some major concepts about instruction that provide important insights into the central requirements for learning. A common misconception is that motivation has to do with wanting or desiring. It is instead attention to stimuli that is influenced by two powerful agents--(1) suspense,…

While the effects of teacher expectations on learner performance have continued to be of interest to both classroom teachers and researchers, the findings of much of the research have been equivocal. Teacher expectancy statements may affect performance in three rather distinct ways: the past association value of the expectancy statement, the value…

This digest describes the challenges of social skills instruction and provides three strategies for improving the social competence of all students, including children with disabilities. It begins by emphasizing the importance of teaching individual social skills within the context of establishing a school-wide culture of social competence. To…

A model is presented in which variables affecting achievement were grouped as: (1) school or school district conditions; (2) within school conditions; (3) teacher characteristics; (4) teaching style; (5) student characteristics; (6) student behavior; and (7) student learning outcomes. (Author/CP)

Managing student behavior can be one of the greatest concerns and a laborious enterprise for prospective teachers in urban schools. Urban teachers must respond to the needs of their students by creating culturally responsive classrooms that spotlight a variety of instructional practices, methodologies, and behavioral interventions in an effort to…

The educational trend toward including students with disabilities in classrooms has been on the rise over the last 30 years. Supporters of inclusion state many expected benefits of inclusion such as: (a) a reduction in the negative feelings toward labeling; (b) an increase in friendships between disabled and nondisabled students; and (c) the…