To encourage students to do routine homework assignments, teachers might occasionally assign silly homework assignments (such as "Brush your teeth with the hand you usually don't use"). Class discussions and parent reactions provide feedback. A list of suggestions and a reproducible page are offered. (JL)

Describes portfolio assessment, recommending it as a means of dynamic and ongoing student evaluation. For students, portfolios stimulate thinking and promote independence. For teachers, they provide a multidimensional view of each child's development. The article explains how to get started, customize portfolio contents, collect notes, and manage…

Presents suggestions on how to incorporate elementary student decision making into classroom routine. The article recommends teachers be models, provide food for thought, focus on student strengths, introduce decision-making processes, and provide practice. Seven steps to making good decisions and activities to develop decision-making skills are…

Looking back in history may help teachers revitalize their teaching. Books written in the past offer effective strategies to be used in today's classrooms. Several of these books and their philosophy of education are explored. (DF)

A former eighth grade teacher recalls her experiences with a student who was extremely shy and afraid of oral presentations required by his English class. After she worked with him to strengthen self-confidence, he was able to speak, and he became more confident in other areas of his life. (SM)

Tailoring programs to fit children is different from designing programs that exclude them. The many skills exhibited in gifted behavior can be taught, learned, and acquired to some degree by all children. (CJ)

Six articles help elementary teachers cultivate students' critical thinking skills across the curriculum with activities like examining past predictions and future forecasting, exploring science via ice and snow, strengthening critical reading through visual clues, discussing prediction using mathematical patterns, and studying vision with a…

Describes discovery learning, a teaching method that encourages students to use inductive reasoning. Students explore and experiment using the skill or idea being taught; they determine rules, make generalizations, and discover concepts. The teacher acts as coach, advisor, and reinforcer. A student page offers a discovery learning game on capital…

Discusses what teachers should do when older elementary students lie. Guidelines for handling the situation are presented along with suggestions for making children feel good about telling the truth. Three activities for encouraging truthfulness in the classroom are suggested. (SM)