The possibility that expectations about classroom tasks that teachers communicate to students in the process of presenting those tasks might affect student engagement in the tasks was investigated by correlating the presence/absence of various teacher task-presentation statements with measures of subsequent student task engagement. (Author)

Self concepts of 90 gifted and 90 high achieving normal students (grades four through six) were measured. Scores on the Piers Harris Children's Self Concept Scale were substantially lower for gifted Ss, independent of grade placement or time of measurement. (CL)

A Type I incidental learning paradigm was used to examine the manner in which 20 learning disabled (LD) and 20 non-LD children (9 to 11 years old) responded to systematic variations in the semantic elements of words. (Author/SW)

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised arithmetic subtest revealed a significant difference in performance between sixth graders with learning disabilities, including arithmetic, and Ss who were learning disabled in areas other than arithmetic. A significant main effect was associated with type of presentation/response behaviors. (CL)

Identifies several objectives of a student-assistance program that can aid students who wish to keep the group intact and those who wish to withdraw because of personal growth or changes in preferences. Seven consecutive group sessions are outlined in detail, and follow-up procedures are discussed. (NB)

Examined contention that diverse adolescent problem behaviors reflect single underlying dimension of behavior in 426 preadolescent sixth graders. By using confirmatory factor analyses to test competing models, multiple factor structures were detected, suggesting that earlier findings supporting single factor conceptualization may not be…

Mystery and Adventure travel the same path. Within every mystery is an adventure, be it a struggle for survival, network of suspense, or matching of wits. A mystery is a secret jigsaw puzzle. Its popularity lies in the author's skillful engagement of the reader in putting together the pieces by using such elements as clues, foreshadowing, and…

This book provides classroom-tested methods for engaging struggling middle grade readers--even those who appear to have given up--and fostering their success. The emphasis is on constructing respectful, encouraging learning environments that incorporate students' diverse literacies, cultural interests, and prior knowledge and skills into…

Nanakuli is a rural, poverty-stricken community on the remote west coast of the Hawaiian island of O'ahu. In May 2006, Nanakuli High and Intermediate was ranked the worst school in the state of Hawaii. In this article, the author relates what happened when she led teens in Nanakuli through the creation and performance of an original theatre show…

Special education teachers working in intermediate grades and in middle school grades face many challenges as they teach both developmental reading skills and subject matter material. Not only must they deal with the increased vocabulary and domain demands of teaching informational text, they must also handle the needs of students who have not yet…

The study investigated comparable achievement of 75 academically gifted students (grades 4-6) in a self-contained 5-day per week class with 148 gifted students (grades 4-6) in a 1-day per week gifted program. The Ross Test of Higher Cognitive Processes measured higher cognitive skills in a pre- and post-test design, and the California Achievement…

The procedure of teaching filmmaking to elementary children is described. (JH)

Designed with administrators, teachers, and the general public in mind, this minipackage attempts to answer critical questions about the middle school. It contains three substantive documents: a) "Middle School Questions and Answers"; b) "The Middle School: Alternatives Within the System"; and c) "Young People in Transition: Summary." Two selected…