This article presents an interview with Carmella Van Vleet, a former teacher and educational speaker. She has written family humor and parenting articles, and is also the author of "How to Handle School Snafus," "Great Ancient Egypt Projects You Can Build Yourself" and "Amazing Ben Franklin Inventions You Can Build Yourself." In this interview,…

The book "Nature's Playground: Activities, Crafts, and Games to Encourage Children to Get Outdoors" encourages children to venture into the world of the outdoors. Hours of inventive, exciting and safe outdoor activities for children are included, organized by season--or to do all year round. The natural world is a perfect place for children to…

Unfortunately, the development of many life skills sometimes gets pushed aside in high school. The focus is on doing well in school and on getting to college. What about the learning that takes place in other arenas? Things like learning how to balance a check book or create a budget? These skills are just as important as those learned in the…

Reviews five recent titles concerning minimum competency testing in the schools. (SJL)

Reviewed are four reference books on the teaching of reading: "How To Teach Reading: A Competency-Based Program"; "Teaching Reading"; "Reading without Nonsense"; "Teaching Reading Comprehension." (KC)

The author criticizes the old standard collection's disdain for such contemporary needs as readability and variety of appeal. (Editor/SJL)

Reviews six recent texts for teachers regarding reading instruction and four guides to children's books. (SJL)

Reviews 18 recent texts, supplements, kits, games, and professional references designed to develop problem-solving skills in mathematics, K-12. (SJL)

Reviews and compares seven recent civics texts: four for grades 7-9, two for grades 9-12, and one for grades 7-12. (SJL)

Reviews "People in a World of Change" (elementary series); "The Midwest: Regional Backgrounds" (intermediate kit); "Idea and Action in World Cultures" (junior high text); "Psychology and Human Experience" (high school text); "Hands On! Remedial Activities in American History" (spirit masters/secondary); and "Manual for Multicultural and Ethnic…

Reviews seven entertaining story collections which aim to keep readers reading rather than doing exercises. With reading levels well below interest levels, these stories lure reluctant readers with such topics as the outdoors, mystery, and science fiction. Two series, one with accompanying filmstrips, retell literary classics for below-grade…

This review of selected social studies texts, series, and supplements, mainly for the secondary level, includes a special section examining eight titles on warfare and terrorism for grades 4-12. (SJL)

The author examines three studies, two new and one a reissued classic, that consider the question: Do secondary school learnings make any ultimate difference in shaping students' lives or society's values? (Editor)

Reviews 42 recent texts, supplements, kits and professional references for career education, K-12. Most of the materials are intended for the high school level. Special sections consider texts on surviving in the job market, career fields, building a career, and life planning. (SJL)

Reviews 23 recent texts, supplements, and professional references for gifted and creative instruction at various grade levels, K-l2. Several of the titles concern education in the arts and the humanities. Appended is an index to other reviews of gifted materials which have appeared in this magazine. (SJL)