Some of the problems and hazards associated with the use of standardized reading test scores in the formation and reformation of ability groups for reading instruction are discussed. (Author)

Presents an overview of the four component parts of the activity of problem solving. These are the types of problems to be solved, the necessary prerequisites, the strategies, and the elements used in applying the strategies. (HM)

It is suggested that reading is not a unitary process, but the acquisition of a succession of skills. Different retarded readers may break down at different stages in the acquisition of these. Each disability type may be associated with a particular type of deficiency in conceptual thinking. (Author/SJL)

Participating in a group experience may be as damaging to some individuals as it is beneficial to others. A review of the group literature and observations from practice provide the basis for this discussion of the casualties that occur in groups and strategies for their prevention and treatment. (Author)

A discussion with the staff of the Internet Public Library (IPL), which began as a project at the University of Michigan, highlights its role in supplementing local public library services; classification; collection development policies; and the impact of legislation, copyright, and universal service on IPL. A sidebar presents IPL user…

Discusses the revised definition of mental retardation in a 1992 manual by the American Association on Mental Retardation. The key principles that provided the foundation for the development of the new definition are described, including the paradigm shift from facility-based to services-based to supports-based models. (CR)

Argues that an educational definition of mental retardation has to be sensitive to the motivational self-system and the self-regulatory processes that underpin performance of students with mental retardation. The theory of motivational orientation that explains the differences in students with intrinsic motivation or extrinsic motivation is…

Describes a unit of study that promotes environmental mathematics. Automobile license plates are used for practice in classifying, examining the place value of digits, analyzing the numbers on the plates, and measurement. (AIM)

Proposes a model that assists in understanding indexing on the World Wide Web and presents an experiment assessing the validity of Inverse Document Frequency (IDF) as a term weighting strategy for Web documents. Findings indicate that IDF scores are not stable in the heterogeneous and dynamic context of the Web. (Author/AEF)

Discusses detailed classification systems, sophisticated alphabetical indexing systems and reasons for the abandonment of complex indexing systems. The suggested structure for indexing the Internet or other large electronic collections of documents is based on that of book indexes: specific headings with coined modifications. (Author/AEF)

This paper responds to criticisms concerning the applicability of the 1992 American Association on Mental Retardation definition of mental retardation to preschool children. Criticisms focusing on the elimination of classification levels, limited relevance of adaptive behavior areas, and difficulties delineating kinds and intensities of supports…

Presents a five-step method to develop the critical numeracy knowledge of numerically intimidated students. Examines the method in detail, discussing Piagetian diagnostic tools and how to adapt the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) taxonomy to teach critical numeracy. (CMK)

Proposes and tests a community college classification system based on curricular characteristics and their association with institutional characteristics. Seeks readily available data correlates to represent percentage of a college's course offerings that are in the liberal arts. A simple two-category classification system using total enrollment…

Describes the visualization of a navigation classification scheme in an information retrieval (IR) system. Highlights include Charles Cutter's rules for creating a dictionary catalog; user needs; an example of undergraduate research using this scheme; and user interaction with the IR system. (Contains 64 references.) (Author/LRW)

This article discusses how the broadening of the federal definition of giftedness will possibly increase the number of students identified as gifted. Far from dumbing down the definition, this article argues the new definition will allow many minority children to be identified and served as gifted students. (Contains 8 references.) (CR)