In the age of standardized testing, science and social studies are not given the same priority as mathematics and reading in the curriculum of United States schools. High stakes testing is viewed as having heavily biased schools toward teaching tested subjects and away from less frequently tested subjects. This paper is premised on the notion that…

The purpose of the study was to determine whether or not elementary classroom teachers' exploration of an integrated theoretical model of formative assessment would change participants' understandings of formative assessment and whether or not participants would apply this newly-acquired knowledge to their classroom assessment practices. After…

Argues that Piaget's model of intellectual development can be applied to reading, especially in the area of reading comprehension. (RB)

Offers the Trait Treatment Interaction model as a means through which instructional decision makers can collect and evaluate data on the effectiveness of alternative forms of reading instructions for individuals of differing aptitudes. (RB)

Concludes that in reading words the understanding of meaning and the knowledge of probable letter sequences has a function at least as significant as familiarity with letter shapes. (RB)

Argues that teaching techniques should be consistent with the objectives of the lesson and provides several examples. (RB)

This conceptual paper uses two literatures--the work examining the development of expertise in reading comprehension processes and the work on effective approaches to instruction--to build an instructional model for teaching reading comprehension strategies. The report assumes a constructivist view of both reading comprehension and social…

This teaching model for grades 3-8, a guided comprehension model, is a step-by-step teaching framework that encourages students to become active, strategic readers by providing direct strategy instruction, numerous opportunities for engagement, and a variety of texts and instructional settings. The model was developed in response to the disparity…

Analysis of first-grade reading instruction reveals that teaching contains important technological elements, which can be formulated as principles expressing coherent connections between means and ends; they pervade school-system organization and are not restricted to classes. Teaching is not largely intuitive, unpredictable, or resistant to…

What whole language is and is not, what whole language instruction is and is not, and whether "subskills" can be integrated into a whole language approach are topics worthy of consideration. Whole language is natural language within a given context and in relation to a given situation. Isolated bits of language used for exercise rather…

The role of information-processing task analysis in linking psychological theory to instructional practice is illustrated with reference to reading. Two detailed information-processing models of decoding skills are compared to show how psychological considerations suggest the superiority of one model over the other as a basis for instruction.…

This study summarizes recent achievements in the expanding development of man/machine communications and reviews current technological hurdles associated with the development of artificial intelligence systems which can generate and recognize human speech patterns. With the development of such systems, one potential application would be the…

This brief paper describes the Circle of Collaboration approach at one elementary school in Utah that is focusing on development of an inclusive school for all students and implementation of a program (Balance Literacy) to enhance students' reading skills. Balance Literacy incorporates phonemic awareness, phonic instruction, fluency, vocabulary,…

Special issue devoted to research and the teaching of French in the elementary school. (VM)