Discusses how teachers have erred on one side to teach the basics of sentence structure, usage, grammar, and spelling and have neglected the other primary basic, creativity. (MB)

Puts forth the view that early childhood educators have been more successful than teachers of either older children or adolescents in opposing two underlying assumptions of the educational reform movement: (1) learning should hurt, and (1) the main job of education is to teach basic skills. (RH)

Describes the changes basic writers made to an impromptu in-class essay when the essays were taken home and revised. Suggests that some basic writers have sophisticated revising skills, and that assessment which allows time for revision can give these students the opportunity to demonstrate their skills. (RAE)

This response to a previous article concerning the use of the CBEST considers the importance of periodic review of testing and scoring procedures, the uses and improvement of these procedures, and the search for alternatives which better suit the intended purposes. (CB)

Another reviewer of E. D. Hirsch's new book, "Cultural Literacy," criticizes the book's concepts and points out that a better title might be "Cultural Literacy: How Good Ideas Go Wrong." (MD)

A teacher of deaf elementary students describes the ways in which a classroom store and bank helped students find out the applications of math skills. (CL)

A conceptual alternative to intelligence tests is presented, consisting of assessment of a student's performance on defined criteria with known relevance to school learning. Eleven tests were developed that represent learning in three broad domains: information processing, language, and mathematics. Results of assessment can be interpreted…

Use of personal computers as teaching partners in basic skills instruction of the hearing-impaired personalizes and extends teaching techniques related to existing textbooks. This approach provides both phonetic and phonologic practice. Benefits of this approach are the faster pace and better retention of the material, peer support in performing…

Findings about effective schools are reviewed and implications for special education noted. Characteristics associated with effective schools are described, procedures for organizing the classroom to bring about achievement in basic skills are reviewed, and cautionary notes on both areas of research are offered. Implications, specifically for…

The article discusses ways that cognitive behavioral training (CBT) methods might facilitate acquisitions of basic skills in mildly handicapped students. Elements of the CBT approach are described and studies are reviewed regarding effective teaching, time, and technology. (CL)

Two special needs adults with speech disorders were taught to read functional vocabulary and short phrases/sentences with strategies involving listening, demonstration of community contexts, word meaning drills, beginning sound identification and shaping, prompting, correct pronunciation, and teacher encouragement. Large increases in correct word…

Thirty-five severely mentally retarded secondary students trained in the classroom and in natural settings according to the behaviorally based technology showed signficantly greater gains on those community living tasks for which they were trained than on those for which they were not. (CL)

Contains practical suggestions for refining children's basic reasoning skills for use in the reading class. (RB)

A British study examined whether people's literacy and numeracy skills get worse if they are out of paid employment. It was based on a sample of adults aged 37, who are part of the major cohort study, the National Child Development Study. Only those persons who left school at age 16 were included. Some of the findings were as follows: (1) when men…