This article explores the advantages and limitations of using the interactive whiteboard to enhance teaching and learning. The author observed two teachers use it and discusses their feelings about it. Also included is a discussion of previous research on this technological tool.

Advocates the use of the whole language method in writing instruction to emphasize communication rather than mechanical correctness in writing. Discusses the following whole language techniques: having children see themselves as authors, using predictable books, encouraging inventive spelling, and using and displaying student work. (DMM)

Ways are suggested in which visually appealing information, such as art and artifacts, newsprint, and everyday products, can stimulate interest in, and study of, economics as a vital social science. (CJ)

Visual supports were used to help two boys with autism of elementary school age to transition from one activity to another. A significant decrease in the latency between the time the students were given instructions and the time they began the next activity occurred when the visual supports were used. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

The article defines the component skills required to learn effectively from pictures, and reviews research on the development of those skills with developmentally disabled individuals. (Author/DB)

Two studies compare phonology-based instructional strategies designed for improving spelling skills of elementary school children against instruction strategies that rely only on visual exposure of words. In both studies, posttests showed that children taught through psycholinguistic and phoneme awareness methods significantly outperformed the…

A good spelling teacher teaches by "taste" rather than by "recipe": instead of strictly adhering to procedural outlines, good teachers alter their lessons according to students' needs. In addition, good teachers: (1) recognize the importance of visualization for spelling; (2) understand the two kinds of visualization--for…

The use of visual phonics can help beginning readers or reading-disabled students overcome difficulties in word learning. The technique enhances the ability to identify grapheme-phoneme correspondences (usually appearing in the middle of words and useful for decoding) and prompts the learner to generalize these correspondences from one word to…

Picture fading methods previously demonstrated to be effective with moderately and severely retarded individuals were used to teach 12 sight words to two learning disabled students (ages 8 and 10). (Author)

This article discusses combining two effective instructional methods (Classwide Peer Tutoring and a spelling strategy) to help students acquire and maintain spelling competence inside and outside of the classroom. The spelling strategy, SPELLER, is a seven-step strategy that uses visual imagery, systematic testing, and auditory reinforcement.…

Thirty-three second graders participated in a study to discover the value of teaching concepts using picture attribute chunking (PAC). It was hypothesized that PAC would yield superior concept learning performances compared to a picture attribute list (PAL) treatment and a word-alone treatment. The children, selected on the basis of a pretest that…

A study of elementary school students investigated the effects of immediate feedback during a spelling pretest compared to the usual delayed feedback after dictation of an entire word list. Results indicated a small degree of difference between methods. (Author/DF)

Children must learn to discriminate among the visual stimuli they experience and to recognize the existence of a visual language. Learning activities to help young children develop a sense of visual literacy are suggested. (PP)

Results indicated no interaction between modality preference and reading method. The visual method of teaching resulted in higher achievement regardless of modality preference; however, children with an auditory modality preference were generally superior in achievement compared to those with a visual preference. (Author)