Computer software to build skills and encourage family computer time over the summer are recommended for teachers to send home to parents. Programs include games based on classic adventure stories, a shopping mall game to encourage math skills, and keyboarding programs. (MT)

Presents several pages of ideas for games that build children's skills in the following areas: reasoning, communication, encoding/decoding, decision making, visual acuity, and cause/effect. (CM)

Briefly describes how to help children improve their interviewing skills. (JMB)

Songs aren't just for singing. Use them to develop writing, vocabulary, and creative thinking skills. Two teachers tell how. (Editor)

For homework assignments to be effective, they must serve to develop skills and help students gain a sense of accomplishment. Suggestions for developing interesting, positive homework assignments that use contracts and skill cards are offered. (DF)

The ability to measure time means being able to arrange events in logical sequences, predict which kinds of events take longer than others, and understand different divisions of time. Teaching methods and class activities that will help children develop skills and concepts concerning time usage are presented. (PP)

The article describes how to teach skills strategically in whole-language classrooms. It discusses differences between skills and strategies and notes how to move from skill to strategy. A section on teaching phonics examines phonics charts and personal phonics booklets; suggests an order for teaching phonics. (SM)

This feature blends children's literature with in-class cooking ideas to add spice to reading programs at various times of the year. A seasonal list of reading books appropriate for elementary school-age children is coordinated with recipes for dishes that complement the stories. (PP)

Presents descriptions of the most commonly taught thinking skills and information on how to present, model, and practice those skills in class. The guide also includes a quiz designed to help the teacher take advantage of everyday opportunities to promote thinking skills, and 10 critical thinking skills strategies. (GLR)

Eight ways to use flash cards in mathematics instruction are described. These games and other gimmicks help increase students' concentration, build memory skills, sharpen thinking skills, and enliven drills. (PP)

Discusses techniques to use in helping children write more concisely. Minilesson techniques are presented that guide children in making effective writing revisions and deletions as well as explaining why these techniques are useful. (GLR)

Students who can compute mathematical problems in their heads have learned a skill that is important for estimating and for understanding the number system. Practice activities that can help students master mental computation skills are described. (PP)

Visualization is an effective technique for determining exactly what students must do to solve a mathematics problem. Pictures and charts can be used to help children understand which mathematics facts are present and which are missing--an important step toward problem solving. (PP)

Patterns and directions are given for making bulletin boards that teach language arts and mathematics skills through hands-on student involvement. The boards help teach multiplication tables, word contractions, letter sounds, homonyms, compound words, alphabetization, and other skills. (PP)

More than 50 starter ideas for social studies projects and units for the primary and intermediate grades are presented. These help develop children's skills in social studies, reading, handwriting, and language arts, and stir their interest in local history and government. Activities can be used for new projects or to enrich ongoing ones. (PP)