The secret to teaching may be as simple as asking students good questions--and then giving them the opportunity to find the answers. The author shares how he uses essential questions that set the class off on an inquiry. Rather than consuming information that he distributes and then repeating it on a test, students carry out their own…

Math games bring out kids' natural love of numbers. Yet in the waning days of school, students can't wait for that final bell to ring. Each summer, most students lose about two months of mathematical computation skills. So how do teachers keep their students focused on math up till the end? Before sending them off for the summer, get them hooked…

Some high achievers are not as easy to engage. Sometimes motivating high achievers is "a matter of being more sensitive to what they are interested in," says Don Ambrose, a professor of education at Rider University in New Jersey. But too often classrooms are not set up for that kind of sensitivity. Research shows that schools are…

Discusses why children read and ways to nuture reading in students. (SB)

Learning and laughter go hand in hand. Teachers certainly do not need to be stand-up comedians and spew out one-liners or dress up like clowns to make their classes fun. A little comedy can bring a lot of joy and learning opportunities to the classroom. In this article, the author shares several strategies on how teachers can put in laughter into…

Article described how a piece of appropriate music can change a group's mood thereby creating a better environment for learning. (Author/RK)

Provides some ideas that change the pace and get students ready for learning. (Editor/RK)

Teachers should choose games carefully to reinforce the mathematics' topic children are learning, says the author, who presents some appropriate games here, and urges that their use be planned, not for play only. (Editor/RK)

Can magazine or newspaper pictures be used as effectively as cartoons to motivate pupils to write? Author answered that question from a reader in an extension of his January article in this journal. (Editor/RK)

So often teachers say that motivation is the key to everything they do in the classroom. They want to motivate kids to read, write, and solve problems. They want to inspire them to take pride in a fluently-read paragraph or a simple act of kindness. They hope that their encouragement will help students to find their passions so they can become…

Bulletin boards can be "vertical activity centers" when students create them as learning activities. Suggestions are offered for developing stimulating and creative boards that are also educational. (DF)

Author provided two methods for encouraging creative ideas from students. (Author/RK)

Describes some of the poems and methods from a Writers in the School program as part of a primary education poetry program that intends to stimulate students to read and write poetry. (Author/RK)

A teacher explains her technique for ensuring that her remedial reading students are following the text as she reads aloud to them. (SJL)

This article presents 15 activities designed to motivate students to engage in creative writing. Also given are ideas on how to reinforce and maintain student interest in writing. (IAH)