What does it take to reach a middle school reader? Literacy expert Laura Robb recently shared her top strategies in a webcast for Scholastic fans. This article presents Robb's 13 strategies for thirteen-year-olds. These are: (1) Respect students' search for self; (2) Embrace blogging; (3) Send texts in class; (4) Take words apart; (5) Build…

The key to challenging talented, advanced students and keeping them engaged and motivated within the regular classroom, says the author, is to spend time each day focusing on students' strengths and interests, and to remember that the classroom is a place for developing all sorts of talents in all students. Seven strategies are proposed to help…

Over the summer months, students can lose up to 60% of the math and reading skills that they learned during the year. From special ways to say goodbye to fun activities to share with parents, this paper provides over 50 ideas to keep the learning going.

Teachers can help students become better problem solvers when they introduce several problem solving strategies. Activities for classroom use are offered. (DF)

The Math Lab is a creative approach to teaching math concepts. Students are introduced to skills through several conceptual levels. Concrete level activities are followed by semiconcrete, semiabstract, and abstract levels of instruction. Examples of teaching methods for each level are offered. (DF)

Describes how technology helped one elementary teacher meet the needs and celebrate the strengths of all his students in a mixed-ability-grouped, student-centered classroom. Technology allowed the children many more choices for different kinds of learning and helped them develop their individual strengths. (SM)

This article reports on how elementary school teachers teach strategies to help pupils learn and remember. Tips for using the research findings in the classroom are offered. (MT)

Describes how to gain optimal learning in the classroom by activating different parts of the brain. Neural systems fatigue very quickly and need to rest. Only a few minutes of factual lecture can be tolerated before the brain seeks other stimuli. The most effective presentation must move back and forth through interrelated neural systems, weaving…

Bulletin boards can be "vertical activity centers" when students create them as learning activities. Suggestions are offered for developing stimulating and creative boards that are also educational. (DF)

Television science programs cover a wide range of science topics, offer a variety of teaching methods, and motivate students. These programs tend to match educational trends, with new programs blending technological advances with speculation to interest students. (DF)

Presents two activities for building elementary school students' vocabulary skills and increasing their knowledge of phonics and spelling patterns. The primary activity involves word mapping. The intermediate activity helps students pronounce and understand unfamiliar, multisyllabic words. A reproducible page on vocabulary strategies is included.…

Presents ideas for creating a purposeful classroom environment that will help students become strategic readers. Suggestions include using the conference table to learn about students as readers, organizing books to help children make wise choices, and creating a meeting area that invites discussion. (SM)

Elementary school science should help students learn to think like scientists--to ask questions, form theories, test hypotheses, observe results, and draw conclusions. This article provides a brief review of several specific guidelines for teaching elementary school science. (IAH)

The reasons some children struggle with reading are as varied as the children themselves. From trouble decoding words to problems retaining information, reading difficulties are complex. All kids, says the International Reading Association, "have a right to instruction designed with their specific needs in mind." The question is how to identify…

Five strategies to help elementary teachers encourage a love of reading in their students are showing how reading fits into one's life, identifying all children as readers, focusing on good reading experiences, pointing out when reading works, and encouraging talk about books. A sidebar provides suggestions for positive reading reinforcement. (SM)