This digest provides an overview of nonverbal learning disabilities (NLD) along with principles for designing and implementing instructional interventions to address its effects. It begins by explaining characteristics of students with NLD, including their tendency to focus on details rather than on the larger picture, the difficulties they may…

This digest discusses research that documents the benefits of keeping gifted students together, the advantages and disadvantages of cluster grouping, and how to implement cluster grouping strategies. It argues that cluster grouping allows educators to come much closer to providing better educational services for groups of students with similar…

Studies show that metacognitive strategies can increase learning skills and that independent use of these metacognitive strategies can be gradually developed in people. The school library media center is the ideal place for students to learn how to develop metacognitive strategies; that is, they can learn how to connect new information to former…

Intended for administrators and policymakers as well as teachers, this digest explores the relationship between television viewing habits and reading achievement. The digest first examines recent research indicating a negative relationship between television viewing in excess of ten hours and reading performance. The digest next focuses on the…

As a result of federal legislation, the effects of mainstreaming of special needs students are being felt now more than ever. Regular classroom teachers are responsible for much of the instruction for special needs students, even though they may lack necessary training in effective teaching techniques. Teachers of social studies may feel…

The hard-cover basal textbook continues to dominate teaching and learning in elementary social studies, particularly as a reaction to reduced budgets, the back to basics movement, state-wide testing, and criticism of less traditional teaching practices. Two problem areas encountered by children when using social studies textbooks include lack of…

This digest discusses the origins of Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, his definition of intelligence, the incorporation of the theory into the classroom, and its role in alternative assessment practices. Gardner defines intelligence as the "capacity to solve problems or to fashion products that are valued in one or more…

This digest describes efforts to improve academic learning for middle level high school students to be applied practically to develop workplace competence and flexibility by integrating academic and vocational education. Following an introduction describing the need to prepare students for working life is a paragraph describing generally the…