Given the focus of recent standards-based reforms, K-12 students are expected to engage in reading and writing activities across disciplines to strengthen their literacy skills in all content areas. These students are simultaneously called upon to develop understandings of the practices of science and engineering through their K-12 science…

Historically, physical education has a stereotypical image as being neither very physical nor educational. NASPE [National Standards for Physical Education] Standard 2 indicates that students in physical education classes should be able to demonstrate understanding and movement concepts, principles, and tactics as they apply to physical activity.…

Although the worlds of professors and author-illustrators of children's and young adult literature are closely related, they rarely intersect in practice. In this column, readers are provided with a new perspective that crosses this divide. The authors are both professors of children's and young adult literature, as well as accomplished authors…

Today's adolescents write to communicate--via text messaging, instant messaging, and social networking posts. They are skilled at manipulating their out-of-school digital language to communicate with an intended audience and to capture individual voice. Because the writing is informal, teens have the ability to break rules, and they can do so…

How do you teach students to communicate, collaborate, and solve problems? In his engaging style, Ron Nash shows teachers how to create a student-centered environment that transforms learners from passive attendees into active participants and leaders in the classroom. Building on the foundation of his prior works on active learning, he combines…

During the rush of the school year, free time is an all-too-scarce commodity for busy teachers. Summer's another story. More relaxed schedules allow a little breathing room to reflect, collaborate, plan ahead--or just unwind. The time off is all important for helping teachers get reinvigorated and ready for the new school year. Whether your summer…

Successful physical educators should always search for fun and effective ways to keep their students fit and active. According to Garber, McKinney, and Carleton (1992), an aerobic dance program can be "an effective alternative to a traditional walk-jog training regime." Such a program can provide students with a unique, creative, and worthwhile…

Award-winning author Carolyn Coman has made a career out of writing stories for children and young adults as well as teaching writing to people of all ages. She believes that the essence of good writing, no matter the genre, is the ability to craft a solid story. In this innovative book, Carolyn provides advice, strategies, and inspiration…

Children's natural play patterns provide opportunity for fitness development. Children typically do not care about the benefits of physical activity or the physiology behind the activities they perform, but they are very interested in participating in fun activities. Often curricula focus on how to feed children values that are important to…

Should teachers teach the calculation of target heart rate to students? And when is it appropriate to engage students in the attainment of these heart rates during physical education class activities? The answers to these questions are not easy. One might be tempted to state a simple yes or no and to identify a specific age to begin using training…

The brain gets fed first! That is an important idea that directly relates to the nutrition/cognition connection in schools. As the education community faces the challenges of childhood obesity, malnutrition of the brain, food allergies, disorders of metal metabolism and biochemical imbalances, educators are eager to learn about how to guide…