Describes one elementary teacher's strategies to help students learn spelling using cooperative learning groups. Mixed-ability groups of four children are established, and students take turns being the caller, recorder, reader, and checker. Students retain more because of the amount of repetition. A weekly classroom spelling schedule is presented.…

Discusses the benefits of integrating the arts into education to help students learn more and better. The paper looks at advantages to including music, visual arts, dance, and theater arts in the classroom, explaining the part that arts play in assessment. Resources for integrated arts activities are included. (SM)

Presents a group of 24 innovative social studies activities from teachers nationwide designed to bring the world to the classroom. The article is part of a package of 100 creative ideas for keeping elementary students enthused about learning in language arts, math, science, and social studies. (SM)

In today's world, the ability to work with others is essential, and cooperative learning can be a powerful teaching strategy to enhance interpersonal skills. The article describes nine essential steps for social skills success and discusses nonverbal and verbal social skills for group work. (SM)

Presents a group of 21 innovative science activities from teachers nationwide designed to sharpen elementary students knowledge of science. The article is part of a package of 100 creative ideas for keeping elementary students enthused about learning in language arts, science, social studies, and math. (SM)

Presents a group of 24 innovative mathematics activities from teachers nationwide designed to sharpen elementary students' math skills. The article is part of a package of 100 creative ideas for keeping elementary students enthused about learning in language arts, science, social studies, and math. (SM)

Presents a group of 31 innovative language arts activities from teachers nationwide designed to inspire elementary students to become eager writers and editors. The article is part of a package of 100 creative ideas for keeping students enthused about learning in language arts, science, math, and social studies. (SM)

Discusses how to teach children about electricity via home projects involving electricity games. The concepts of circuits, conductors, and insulators are illustrated by having students build their own game boards. Instructions for making a telegraph and learning the Morse code are provided. (SM)

Describes how fourth graders, together with first graders, planned, wrote, and edited a book of recollections, opinions, personalized stories, and poems. The article discusses the interviews between the fourth and first grade students, the final editing and production of the book, and the publication party. (SM)

Teachers can make sure students know important facts and concepts before giving unit tests by using the expert group review strategy. Small, mixed-ability student groups review different parts of the unit and present their findings to the class. After the test, students discuss the value of expert group review. (SM)

By bringing some of the excitement of the stock market to the classroom, teachers can encourage students to learn about the financial world, read the newspaper, work cooperatively, and practice working with money and fractions. The article explains how to get students started and offers some advanced strategies. (SM)

Elementary teachers can help their students learn to respond to stress in healthful ways. The article presents creative, motivating, hands-on activities to help primary and upper level students identify and practice stress management skills. Ten stress management skills for students to learn are detailed. (SM)

Playing make believe (metaphoric play) with elementary students can promote very real conversations about art. The paper explains how metaphoric play can help teach art. After collecting familiar art (posters, storybook art, etc.), the teacher creates reality-based scenarios to promote talk, then encourages students on to more far-fetched…

Active learning strategies help teachers grab students' attention and keep it. Three suggested learning strategies include the think, share, and learn method; the practice, instruct, and review method; or the whip around and pass method. The article offers resources for further information on active learning. (SM)

Describes how three teachers developed projects that connect classroom learning with the larger world. A second-grade class collects tea bag tags with applications in many subjects; fifth-grade students launched a stream clean-up; a middle school summer school communication class researched whether O.J. Simpson should stand trial for murder and…