Presents case study data of low- and high-achieving nine-year olds focusing on construction and analogical transfer of mathematical knowledge during novel problem solving, as reflected in strategies for dealing with isomorphic combinatorial problems presented in hands-on and written form. Results showed that achievement level does not predict…

Reports three experiments that show that anxiety effects were prominent in two-column addition problems, especially those involving carrying. Elaborates a theory of mathematics anxiety. Contains 50 references. (SKS)

A study conjectured that individuals make mental models of events when they reason from premises involving temporal relations. Several experiments using school children and university students as subjects found that problems that required one mental model elicited more correct responses than problems that required multiple mental models. (BC)

First through fourth graders and adults judged the effect of two forces pulling simultaneously at one object by predicting the direction of the resultant force. Found that children took into account either the direction or the amount of both forces and that performance improved with age. (BC)

Collected drawings from schooled and unschooled 10- to 15-year olds in a remote region of Papua New Guinea. Found that children attending school drew only human figures. Unschooled children produced a range of drawings from scribbles through transitional forms to human figures. Some children appeared to be able to draw human figures without going…

Assesses Greek primary school children's understanding of sun exposure during summer vacation. Results indicate that children know the damaging effects of long time exposure and the precautions that should be taken during summer bathing. (Author/SOE)

Discusses the use of both formal and informal reading assessment to help teachers tailor reading instruction to students' specific needs. Includes criteria for determining the effectiveness of reading assessment. (PKP)

Studied the stability of accountability scores and gains for schools using fourth-grade reading results for schools (samples from 757 to 802 schools) in Colorado for 4 years of administration of the Colorado Student Assessment Program. Year-to-year changes were found to be quite unstable, resulting in a near zero correlation of the school gains…

Reports results of random survey of principals in 105 Iowa elementary schools about playground supervision practices. Recommends that school boards take a leadership role in creating safe playgrounds by requiring all elementary schools to have at least two supervisors with safety training on the playground at all times. (PKP)

Studied possible effects of small classes on achievement using data from Project STAR, a 4-year, large-scale randomized experiment on the effects of class size. There were unambiguous positive effects of small classes on achievement, but no evidence for differentially larger effects of small classes for lower achieving students. (SLD)

Discusses specific strategies that elementary school teachers can use to design positive assessment experiences that will motivate their students. Strategies and recommendations are grounded in goal-orientation and cognitive-evaluation theory. The paper focuses on meaningfulness of activities, student improvement, student optimism and confidence,…

Describes a career awareness activity in which elementary students use pantomime and role playing to learn about the workers needed to run a restaurant and the importance of teamwork. Provides a narrative for the activity and follow-up discussion questions. (SK)

Administered Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI) Form B to elementary school students (N=450) identified as gifted, normal, and mild mentally handicapped (MiMH). Results indicated that both the gifted and normal children had significantly higher self-esteem than did the MiMH children, but there were no differences between gifted and normal…

Investigated effects of age and sociability on school children's private speech during independent school assignments. Findings from 113 public school children in kindergarten through fourth grade revealed main effect for grade level. Found linear trend, indicating that, as children progressed from kindergarten to fourth grade, their task-relevant…

Examined the concurrent validity of the composite and area scores of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: Fourth Edition (SBIV) and the Mental Processing Composite and global scale scores of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children in Black, learning-disabled elementary school students (N=30). Findings demonstrated adequate concurrent…