The present study investigated the development of fraction comparison strategies through a longitudinal analysis of children's responses to a fraction comparison task in 4th through 6th grades (N = 394). Participants were asked to choose the larger value for 24 fraction pairs blocked by fraction type. Latent class analysis of performance over item…

Fourth-grade students learned a list of relatively complex English vocabulary words in two experiments. In both experiments, a keyword contextual method proved effective for enhancing children's acquisition of new vocabulary words. (Author/BW)

Presents an explanation of the K-W-L Plus strategy as it might be used with students in the classroom. Shows how the strategy is used before reading, after reading, with mapping, and with summary writing. Suggests modifications to be used in the classroom. (MG)

This research project developed a teaching model using museums for educational purposes. The research involved educational programs for children 9 to 11 years of age at the David M. Stewart Museum, near Montreal, Quebec, which specializes in the colonial history of Canada and Quebec. The study focused on the nature of museum visits, learning…

Shows that before students can begin doing research and inquiry on their own, they need to experience extensive nonfiction reading and writing and learn to generate questions and find resources. Offers a list of strategies and ideas that will help prepare the teacher, students, parents, and other teachers for the inquiry process. (SR)

Describes a year-long process of inquiry and scientific learning with a class of fourth-grade students. Describes how the students observed, questioned, and wondered their way to new understandings of the life of birds and the nature of inquiry learning. (SR)

Examines effects of deductive versus inductive learning strategies on performance, comprehension monitoring, and response confidence, using combinations of computer-based tutorials and simulations of Newton's laws of motion. Participants were 353 fifth graders. Deductive learning was defined as the tutorial combined with the structured or…

Fifth-grade students with high or low vocabulary knowledge were taught new words according to the mnemonic keyword method. Three instructional conditions varied by the degree of structure provided by the experimenter. All variations facilitated learning. In aptitude x treatment interaction, structure made far less difference for high-knowledge…

Describes the author's year-long analysis of one student's work to demonstrate her larger and ongoing research process in her classroom, as she investigated whether and how students were taking up the key inquiry-based processes that serve as a foundation for learning across disciplines in her classroom. (SR)

Sixth graders from a semirural midwestern community were randomly assigned to one of four different learning strategies--imagery, overt repetition, covert repetition, and control. Results showed that imagery instructions facilitated learning performance; overt repetition interfered with performance; and covert repetition was similar to the control…

Examines the search strategies of fifth graders who were asked locate the answers to three specific questions in an unfamiliar book, all of which contained terms that could be found in the book's index. Finds that students who were asked guiding questions before and during their search were more successful than their counterparts who were simply…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an eclectic thinking processes model on the logical reasoning abilities of students in grades six through twelve. The experimental school consisted of 159 students whereas the control school had 111 students. The Group Assessment of Logical Thinking (GALT) was administered to the sample as…

Analyzes the time children of different ages, sex, and proficiency levels spent on various compositional processes while creating a melody. Suggests that the amount of time used for exploration, development, repetition, and silence has an effect on the subject's ability to replicate the melody. Finds developmental differences in strategies for…

As measured by responses to a main-idea essay question and by written summaries of two passages, students' ability to abstract the macrostructure of problem/solution text read independently was improved by the use of structure training. (FL)

Observed four fifth-graders who collaboratively solved problems integrating concepts related to fractions and area. Compared features of learning through peer collaboration with teacher-directed learning, including whole solution versus component parts, appropriation versus scaffolding, analysis versus synthesis, conflict versus errorless…