This digest suggests that bibliotherapy is a potentially powerful method for school teachers and counselors to use on many levels and in every school grade. It begins with a brief review of the history of bibliotherapy; continues with a discussion of some approaches to bibliotherapy (interactive, clinical, and developmental); then addresses the…

The incorporation of age- and language-appropriate thematic literature into the early childhood curriculum can stimulate content-based academic learning for English language learners (ELLs). This systematic approach is particularly beneficial to young ELLs ages 3 through 8, because it provides background knowledge and cultural information along…

Teaching history using children's literature, both fiction and non-fiction, is an old idea enjoying new vitality in the elementary and middle school curriculum. This digest discusses: (1) the revival of interest in teaching history through children's literature; (2) research-based guidelines for teachers of history and children's literature, and…

This digest examines changes that are involved in an elementary school library media program when the school's instructional methods move from a basic skills to a whole language approach. These changes are discussed in terms of three curricular foci--theme studies, process writing, and literature-based reading--and new demands that are placed on…

The role of review in mathematics instruction is briefly summarized in terms of reasons, timing, and types. Promoting retention is the primary reason for reviewing; continuity, assimilation, diagnosis, learning prerequisites, and confidence are also noted. Research clearly indicates that review should be systematically planned and incorporated…

A number of researchers argue that the classroom must nurture an environment providing modeling, rehearsal, and coaching, for students and teachers alike, to develop a capacity for critical thinking. Despite the difficulties, many teachers are now promoting critical thinking in the classroom. They are (1) promoting critical thinking by infusing…

This digest considers approaches to langugae arts teaching that are based on mythic or archetypal ways of experiencing and knowing. The Digest argues that such approaches address students' inner lives more directly than do the usual instructional methods such as whole language or student-centered instruction, and thus can help to promote…

Some recent research findings with implications for improving mathematics instruction are reviewed in this report. The focus is on two topics: computation, in particular subtraction and estimation, and problem solving. Findings about each are listed, with references for each cited study included. Effective algorithms and strategies used by…

Some of the major reading and writing practices currently in use in adult English-as-a-Second-Language programs are described in this digest. Reading activities for such learners are similar to those used in adult basic education classes. At the beginning level, students dictate stories to the teacher or give an oral account of an experience.…

This digest is intended to help and inform those teachers who are contemplating using children's literature to teach reading, and provides a brief review of material in the ERIC database on literature-based reading instruction. The digest includes sections on recent research, basic resources, assessing literature based reading, diverse methods…

Intended for literature instructors, this digest explains the relationship of transactional theory (a reciprocal, mutually defining relationship between the reader and the literary text) to the teaching of literature. The importance of the reader's part in literature is first demonstrated, noting that attention must be paid to who the readers are,…

This ERIC Digest examines: (1) research related to the teaching and learning of history in elementary schools; (2) purposes of education in history; and (3) teaching practices to develop interest in and knowledge of history among students in elementary schools. Levstik (1986) stated that social studies educators should apply the techniques of…

This digest focuses on field instruction in school settings. Major areas considered include: (1) factors contributing to the paucity of field activities; (2) whether teacher commitment to the concept of field instruction exists; (3) research on affective-realm educational values of field instruction; (4) research on cognitive-realm educational…

This digest examines research on preschool programs that include children with and without disabilities. Recent research suggests that children with disabilities are able to take advantage of experiences that promote typical development. One study found that children with disabilities enrolled in integrated programs demonstrated higher levels of…

A child's success in learning to read in the first grade appears to be the best predictor of his or her ultimate success in schooling as well as all of the events and outcomes that correlate with that. Yet, across the research literature reviewed for a recent book, "Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning about Print," children's…