There are two parts to socialization, informal and formal. In the United States, informal lessons of socialization come from a child's primary caretaker(s). Imagine a child growing up in this informal setting only to see the world from one perspective through that unique experience. Later the child goes into a formal school setting, to realize…

The "Making Middle Grades Work" ("MMGW") school improvement design consists of a framework of Goals, Key Practices and Key Conditions for accelerating learning and setting higher standards. It recommends research-based practices for schools to improve academic and exploratory instruction and sustained student achievement. "MMGW" research has shown…

Investigating local watersheds presents middle school students with authentic opportunities to engage in inquiry and address questions about their immediate environment. Investigation activities promote learning in an investigations interdisciplinary context as students explore relationships among chemical, biological, physical, geological, and…

This digest focuses on foreign language instruction at the middle school level. In general, middle school foreign language programs have received relatively little attention. However, the increased emphasis within the field on longer sequences of instruction, combined with the conversion of junior high schools to middle schools has necessitated a…

Describes online mentoring, or "telementoring" relationships, and how they differ from traditional mentoring, apprenticeship, and tutoring. Discusses the design and use of a telementored curriculum unit in middle school science and provides a set of general guidelines to aid teachers and administrators in designing and carrying out their own…

A frequent concern of language arts teachers is how to provide a quality differentiated program for the highly able readers in their classrooms. In order to implement such a program, one must look first at the uniqueness of the individual school and then explore a variety of organizational patterns that meet the needs of the students. One…

Students who are no longer children but not yet fully adolescent require an appropriate program to meet their specific education needs. The true middle school program can meet these needs. In an effort to provide usable and valuable guidelines for evaluation of existing school programs and for planning new ones, this booklet describes 14…

This document describes the design, content, and methods of a teacher education program (TEP) with a specialization in environmental education (SEE), intended to prepare teachers for middle schools. The SEE is also suggested as inservice for staff members. Part 1 presents the goals of the TEP and translates these goals into learner objectives. It…

Designed to help teachers promote a teacher-parent partnership process, this manual describes the Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork (TIPS) program in language arts, science, and health. The manual covers the TIPS Interactive Homework Process, focusing on overcoming obstacles, TIPS activities, the process of informing parents, and students'…

This volume makes two important contributions: First, it provides a framework grounded in theory and best professional practice that middle and high school teachers, their students, and community partners can use to design, implement, and evaluate service-learning projects that address authentic community needs. Second, it demonstrates ways…

This guide is the third publication in a series designed to help school districts in North Carolina implement effective second language programs in the middle grades, building on existing elementary programs and connecting with established secondary school programs. The guide first explains the rationale for including second languages in the…

This book is designed as both a methods text and practical guide for school districts and teachers involved in foreign language instruction at the elementary and middle school levels (grades K-8). Its primary concern is with majority-language speakers and with beginning-level classes. Brief introductory sections outline key concepts for success.…