Examines the impact of job preparation, short-term outdoor adventure, and family relationships on juvenile probationers' self-concept, loci of control, and perceptions of juvenile justice. Results indicate that the intervention did not achieve its intended effects, as measured by self-report scales. Outcomes relating to program design and…

Conversations of nine preschool children were tape recorded as they traveled home from school. Analysis indicated that, overall, the children spoke most often about the here and now. Most references to the past or to school projects occurred during the first five minutes of travel. References to future events occurred more often during the latter…

A study of the relationship between metacognition and academic achievement in 35 Belgian freshmen economics majors found high-achieving students to be aware of more cognitive rules and to evoke such metacognitive knowledge more frequently. Their metacognitive knowledge also seemed more structured and hierarchically organized. Five metacognitive…

The relationship between argumentation and informal reasoning is discussed, followed by a consideration of instructional factors that influence argumentation performance. An account of one expert student reasoner is provided. Instruction in argumentation is reviewed, and suggestions are made for argumentation based on classroom experience. (SLD)

Three severely retarded persons displaying self-injury, stereotypy, or aggression were trained to emit a communicative response that solicited reinforcement. Results showed that consequence procedures were required in addition to reinforcement. Treating aberrant behavior through use of functional analysis to identify maintaining contingencies and…

This paper examines learning-disabled students' change in legal status as they leave high school, which is structured by Public Law 94-142, and enter college settings structured by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The paper discusses implications of the change, transition programs, and guidelines for developing legal transition…

Descriptive and functional analysis of the bizarre speech of an adult with moderate mental retardation found that bizarre speech appeared to function as an attention-producing behavior. Two different yet functionally equivalent treatments (noncontingent scheduled attention and social language skill development) were found to be effective in…

Discussion of the development of oral language skills for elementary age children highlights the use of well-known folk tales such as "The Story of the Three Little Pigs" to involve a group in an oral language experience. The use of puppets is described, and props and resource materials are suggested. (LRW)

A modified functional analysis was used to assess the behavioral function of a profoundly retarded man's self-injurious behavior (SIB). Differential reinforcement of alternative behavior effectively reduced SIB and related behavior problems, while compliance of a self-care acquisition task increased markedly. (Author/DB)

Three seven-year-old males with autism included in social skills groups with nonhandicapped peers were successfully trained in such social skills as initiating, responding, keeping interactions going, greeting, conversing, giving and accepting compliments, taking turns and sharing, asking for help and helping others, and including others in…

Presents a collection of teachers' ideas on instruction for musical improvisation. Includes suggestions for ascending grade levels, spontaneous composition, and creation of sound maps. Recommends making technique training fun and creative through improvisation. Suggests that children be taught to think in sounds and to experiment with variations.…

This article presents a three-stage writing process designed to enhance the writing skills of gifted students, increase their engagement in the subject matter, and provide a greater degree of understanding of the content area. The stages are referred to as prewriting, writing, and rewriting. (JDD)

Examined efficacy of series of skills training interventions derived from psychoeducational literature on rehabilitation potential of persons with end-stage renal disease. Comparison of workshop participants (n=16) and no-treatment controls (n=12) suggests that workshops improved levels of career maturity, adaptive behavior, and desirable…

Two experiments with young children with mental retardation found that a milieu teaching approach was effective in facilitating subjects' use of such prelinguistic communication skills as requesting, commenting, and vocal imitation, in both the training and generalized settings. Evidence of reciprocal effects on teacher-student interaction was…

This study, with three mildly handicapped nine-year olds, investigated the effects on capitalization skills of a peer teaching procedure combined with student letter-writing activities. Findings indicated acquisition of the skills, with mixed results for generalization. Two of the 3 mildly handicapped peer teachers (ages 10-11) also improved their…