A study evaluated the effectiveness of a direct instructional paradigm for teaching children to comprehend main ideas of prose passages. Subjects, 69 children in three fourth grade classes, were randomly assigned to an experimental "strategy" group receiving direct instruction in main ideas, an experimental "basal" group…

The guide presents suggestions for enrichment activities emphasizing poetry for gifted and talented intermediate students. Information is arranged according to objectives, entry skills, teacher's approaches, student activities, and resources. The following poetry-related topics are addressed: poetic license; metaphors; poetry charades;…

This Spanish language teacher's edition of a practical mathematics text for the intermediate grades contains three components which can be structured in different combinations according to different student needs. Built around a review of selected objectives in the mathematics basic curriculum, the material is intended to stimulate interest in…

Concludes that children scoring high in picture arrangement on the Wechsler have significantly poorer problem solving ability than children with low picture arrangement scores. (RB)

Using science experiments to motivate reluctant readers can be very successful with junior high school students. (JH)

Rewriting nursery rhymes was found to be a successful method of vocabulary development. (JH)

A study investigated the reading interests of fourth and sixth grade students of above-average reading achievement. Subjects, 44 fourth graders and 39 sixth graders in an urban environment, responded to a reading interest inventory containing 25 categories. The sample was separated into two groups, an experimental group which attained 60 or higher…

This curriculum unit provides educators with 10 lessons designed to make sexuality education culturally relevant for Latino youth in grades five through eight. While affirming the traditions and characteristics of Latino families and cultures, this structured curriculum introduces sexuality as a lifelong process that goes beyond physical intimacy.…

This study controlled the gender context of sentence cues containing nouns and pronouns and asked children to draw pictures depicting the situations described in them. Subjects were 220 elementary students from the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. Each child drew responses to cues for only one form. The experimenter allowed them 4 minutes per cue…

A study was conducted to compare the results of three test formats in relation to assessing the depth of vocabulary knowledge of fourth-grade students. Students (117) were tested on their knowledge of the primary and secondary meanings of 44 multimeaning words using multiple-choice, yes/no, and interview formats. Information on the test-taking…

This first chapter in "The Challenge of Counseling in Middle Schools" contains four articles that describe strategies for counselors to use in helping middle school students move toward self-understanding. "A Dialogue with Self: The Journal as an Educational Tool," by Dalva Hedlund, Tanis Furst, and Kathryn Foley, describes journal writing as a…

This second chapter in "The Challenge of Counseling in Middle Schools" presents four articles that deal with family relationships in early adolescence. "Teen-Parent Relationship Enrichment Through Choice Awareness," by Richard Nelson and Marsha Link, describes a process through which counselors may help to enrich relationships between teenagers…

This sixth chapter in "The Challenge of Counseling in Middle Schools" presents four articles on academic achievement in early adolescence. "Succeeding in Middle School: A Multimodal Approach," by Edwin Gerler, Jr., Nancy Shannon Drew, and Phyllis Mohr, describes a study conducted to examine the effects of the multimodal program, "Succeeding in…