Learning communication is one of the major developmental tasks in early childhood. Few tasks in early childhood are as important for children as being able to communicate with the people in their world to have their needs met. This also includes gaining skills to understand and express thoughts, feelings and information. Understanding…

This text is a clear and current description of the instructional strategies that can be immediately applied across age groups and disability labels. An evidence-based instructional methodology is provided, which has proved to be effective in teaching skills to students and adults with disabilities. Signature topics include: (1) a…

Tactical approaches to teaching are, arguably, still under-utilized in physical education settings, and this may be due to the lack of pertinent assessment materials. The purpose of this article is to present a generic invasion-game unit and to link it to a variety of assessment materials using three tactical components from the Game Performance…

This "skill packet" is a training document that serves as a guide to performing needs assessment in the educational context. It is anticipated that, at the end of the training, participants will be able to: (1) define needs assessment concepts; (2) identify strategies for conducting a needs assessment; (3) describe the strategies and…

By helping children to form positive thinking and learning habits, and to develop a range of transferable skills, we give them the tools they need to become successful learners. This book is grounded in the best of current practice and theories surrounding thinking and learning skills. It provides a highly effective method for introducing a…

Outlines methods for including skill testing in teacher-made history tests. Focuses on distinguishing fact and fiction, evaluating the reliability of a source, distinguishing between primary and secondary sources, recognizing statements which support generalizations, testing with media, mapping geo-politics, and applying knowledge to new…

Teaching implications for the instruction of mentally retarded persons in the skill of overarm throwing are provided. A sequence is described that allows instructors to observe both body part actions (components) and whole body patterns (profiles), which makes it amenable to the task analysis approach. (JN)

Stresses the importance of revision in the creative writing process and presents a worksheet to be used in groups of four students to evaluate and improve rough drafts of written assignments. (DR)

Based on the premise that teachers are the chief condition in the literate classroom, and that one of the most important things children do is to observe the way adults think and learn, this book presents five essays suggesting methods of inviting children into the adult world of reading and writing. After a foreword by Donald Graves and an…

This K-12 social studies curriculum guide was developed to provide local schools in South Dakota with a point of departure for their own curriculum development. There are five sections to the guide. Section one, "Social Studies Standards of Excellence," discusses shared decision making and commitment, community support for the social studies,…

The fourth article in a four-part series on instructional design discusses evaluation of a psychomotor skills unit taught in preclinical dental education. Issues examined include piloting of instructional materials, analysis and revision of materials based on student performance, syllabus design and content, influence of faculty characteristics,…

It is argued that self-assessment skills, used for planning and monitoring achievement, must be taught to college students. One method, use of a personal diary of progress, is described and illustrated. An alternative or complementary procedure for teaching self-assessment skills, which can be used with large groups, is also outlined. (MSE)

Provides specific techniques and tools to help students improve their self-assessment skills based on the evaluation component of the Big6 information problem-solving process. Highlights include an "Ask & Answer" sheet, formative assessment, group participation assessment, and scoring guides. (LRW)

The document contains 20 ecological inventories (developed at the University of Minnesota and the University of Alberta) to help severely disabled students learn functional living skills. The ecological approach is designed to uncover the functions critical for success in specific environments which the student frequently encounters. Matching the…

This training program offers skills training in all stages of the development of technologies related to small-scale charcoal production, including the design, construction, operation, maintenance, repair, and evaluation of prototype kilns. The kiln designs are selected to be as consistent as possible with the realities of rural areas in…