Each year, Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) informs policymakers and practitioners of what children know and are able to do when they start formal education in kindergarten. This report provides a profile of children's skill levels as they enter school based on the evaluation of their teachers. It includes valuable trend data about…

Each year, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) informs policymakers and practitioners of what children know and are able to do when they start formal education in kindergarten. This report, which is unique in its kind nationally, provides a profile of children's skill levels as they enter school based on the evaluation of their…

Diekhoff argues that you must teach trainees how to learn. He recommends pretraining in learning strategies, including self-pacing, concentration, and reading comprehension. (CT)

The author explains that readiness measures should collect data about pupil's entering behavior for instructional objectives or programs, that the criterion of relevance in entering behavior must be met, and that problems arise when there is no consensus on prerequisite entering behavior. (Author/CL)

Aware that some kindergarten children are not ready for the demands of a structured program, a kindergarten teacher developed and implemented a program which made use of classroom learning centers to help kindergarten students grow in all areas of development. Special attention was given to the process of helping students: (1) develop belief in…

Suggests mathematics readiness activities that teachers and parents can use with preschoolers: comparing shapes and sizes; counting; and learning quantitative concepts such as "less" and "more." (SJL)

Claims that students' self-discipline is the key factor in learning and that the structure of the school is the key factor in developing self-discipline in students. Suggests ways schools can develop awareness of the effects of their structures on student behavior and learning and make appropriate improvements. (PGD)

It is argued that acculturation, anomie, social distance, and perceived social distance rather than biological factors define a critical period independent of the age of the learner for second language acquisition. Suggestions for planning instructional strategies and selecting materials based on this hypothesis are given. (PMJ)

This book explores the educational mission of teachers. Based mainly on opinion and anecdotal evidence--yet supported by some research--this book calls on teachers and parents to look beyond the old myths about what a good school is and instead focus on facilitating intellectual, ethical, and aesthetic growth in students and in themselves. The…

Originally written near the beginning of the "new math" movement, this article reflects on the role of student discovery, intuition, mathematics as an analytic language, and the problem of student readiness. (MKR)

Offers strategies for increasing learning motivation in elementary school students that are borrowed from marketing techniques used by grocery stores including tie-ins, holiday or theme specials, shelving rules, and personalized attention. (SRT)

Making their own dictionaries gives beginners confidence in their writing, reading, and spelling progress. (Editor)

Focusing on the brain's natural functions, this article discusses specific teacher characteristics, teaching methods, and peripheral stimuli helping to activate appropriate learning behavior. Also identifies particular events and teacher behaviors that block learning and frustrate the brain's efforts to harmonize conflicts and admit new…

A new idea is catching on fast: instead of giving all students the same classroom time and grading A to F, give each the time and the teaching technique he or she needs to master the subject. (LBH)

This paper describes computer-aided cognitive rehabilitation for mentally deficient persons. It lists motor, cognitive, emotional, and educational prerequisites to such rehabilitation and states advantages and disadvantages in using the prerequisites. (JDD)