Finds that (1) exposure to correctly spelled words improved spelling accuracy for immediate and delayed posttests; (2) exposure to misspelled words did not significantly affect the spelling accuracy of the sample as a whole; and (3) no interaction was found between spelling ability and spelling accuracy improvement as the result of proofreading…

Compares classical literacy (which treats reading and writing as distinct from content subjects) with informational literacy. Discusses seven key informational-literacy teaching practices and class activities that middle grade teachers can use to prepare their students for life in the information age. (SR)

Describes a Prescriptive Discipline Plan developed by teachers at a Florida middle school. The plan featured three offense categories: minor infractions handled by teachers, intermediate offenses (cheating, disrespect, and insubordination) handled by administrators, and serious offenses (fighting, assault, sexual misconduct) invoking automatic…

Explains a classroom experiment to create a folk story about the trickster, a folklore metaphor, through dramatic role playing, improvisation, and imaginative play. Describes the activities used, including details of the students' dramatic role playing and the use of "gibberish" as language. Discusses the methods used for creation of a…

This study focused on the extent to which the comparison of isomorphic problems might enrich subjects' representations and solving strategies. Results with 166 sixth graders solving isomorphic problems show that comprehension increased as problems were processed and that simultaneous presentation of all problems was more favorable than successive…

Investigates the efficacy of guided affective and cognitive imagery in enhancing self-esteem among children of Hawaiian ancestry. Children (N=60) who participated in 10 weekly group sessions had significantly higher post-test scores on two self-esteem measures when compared to the control group. (EMK)

Examines the reading standards of eight cohorts (years 1989 to 1996) of Year 6 children from five randomly selected primary schools within one Local Education Authority in England. Finds little movement in the mean scores of the eight cohorts over time and, in fact, there has been a slight but significant decline in mean scores. (RS)

Points out the many different kinds of texts people read and write, and how literacy is used for a wide variety of purposes. Argues that teachers should make available for students different kinds of texts in addition to the more conventional ones seen in classrooms, and offers a list of such materials. (SR)

Studied the social and cognitive activity that occurred when students were introduced to philosophical dialogue about mathematics in a class of 30 fifth graders. Changes in students' discussions showed that the dialogue evolved from monological exchanges to dialogical exchanges, but data also suggest that if philosophical dialogue is to develop,…

Discusses designing and implementing five-day drama residencies in public schools on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. States that residencies integrate with subjects being taught and the teachers tell what content they wish to pursue through drama. Gives a day-by-day plan for using works by Toni Morrison in drama. (PA)

Developed a measurement model for use in coping research in early adolescence. Results from 359 fifth and sixth graders provided support for measures of children's coping, and a four-factor measurement model incorporating coping efficacy, family support, and the two higher-order factors of productive and nonproductive coping was established. (SLD)

The Hazards of Tobacco (C) program, which focuses on smoking prevention among youth, was completed by 259 suburban sixth graders (199 controls) and 166 urban fifth through seventh graders. Participation significantly changed understanding of the role of tobacco advertising and the intention to smoke in both samples. (Contains 49 references.) (SK)

This study attempted to predict spelling errors of 222 children (grades 4-6) from their performance on pseudohomophone choice and rhyme matching tasks. Analysis showed that both accurate and rapid choice of pseudohomophones sounding like real words and rhyme matching contributed substantially to variations in spelling. (Contains extensive…

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…

Compared the effectiveness of two instructional approaches in the acquisition of basic concepts of astronomy by 63 fifth graders, half of whom received standard textbook-based instruction. The rest received instruction that took preconceptions into account and that focused on the plausibility of scientific conceptions. Results supported the…