Demonstrates that two fifth-grade avid writers differentiated between flow experiences and non-flow experiences associated with writing, and describes flow experiences in terms similar to those reported in studies in adolescents and adults. Shows that flow experiences occurred when students controlled important aspects of writing, such as…

Determines patterns of gender differences in the science achievement of fifth graders, taking into account the role of ethnicity, ability, response format, and strands of learning outcomes. Indicates that gender differences in science achievement did not depend on ethnicity but that response format, ability, and strands of learning outcomes had…

Discusses research the author undertook with a class of fifth graders, in which they read and discussed popular series books. Shares examples of their talk about the topic and what that talk reveals about the potential of the classroom as a space to reveal, complicate, and challenge gendered assumptions about what is desirable or appropriate…

Describes the author's experience with Laura, the younger sister of one of her fifth-grade students from the previous year. Notes her preconceived notions concerning Laura's academic potential. Realizes that she was setting expectations for her students without providing the information her students needed to achieve them. Concludes that Laura had…

Describes one student's writing project and how it develops in a writing program. Notes that his story focuses on the Holocaust and was inspired by reading over 15 books on the topic. (SG)

Since Socrates first posed questions to his ga-clad philosophers, teachers have encouraged students to think. This author, a fifth-grade teacher, explains the importance of teaching children to think for themselves rather than merely coaxing them to come up with the instructor's answer. Some of the methods he uses in his classroom include building…

In two separate studies, the authors examined fifth graders' preference for authentic and arranged versions of world music recordings, the relationship of those preference ratings to familiarity, and teachers' ability to predict student preferences. In the first study, intact classes of fifth-grade students were randomly assigned to an authentic…

While math has long been regarded as a universal language because of its foundation in numbers, the subject poses nearly as many hurdles for students with limited English as lessons that rely more heavily on reading, many educators say. Malinda Evans spends about an hour and a half each day teaching mathematics to her 5th graders at Navajo…

This article presents a series of lessons in which grade 5/6 students use measurement activities to design and construct proportion dolls. This article highlights how measurement can connect learning about percents, decimals, and proportions. (Contains 5 figures.)

A fast way to teach investigative skills in science is to tie them to NASCAR using Hot Wheels Formula Fuelers Race Cars. These inexpensive toy cars travel different distances based on the strength of the "electrolyte" (a substance that conducts electricity when dissolved in water) in their "fuel" tanks. Advertisements for these race cars urge kids…

The fifth graders interpretations of one piece of Latino/a realistic fictions in a mid-western school, specifically around the theme of Mexican Americans living on the U.S/Mexico border is looked at. A demonstration is given on how drama-in-education strategies serve as a powerful set of tools to facilitate complex dialogues and interpretation of…

So far scholars have researched beliefs about knowledge, knowing, and learning mainly in the areas of science and mathematics and among secondary school students. In this article, we explore primary school students' metacognitive beliefs about religious education. The article reports on a study involving 656 fifth- and sixth-grade students. We…

The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of MultiFunk, a computer program designed to assist reading, on the reading and spelling proficiency of struggling readers. Fifty-two below-average readers and spellers, in grades 5, 6 and 7, were randomly assigned as experimental and control groups (N = 26 + 26). In addition, 114 classmates,…

Empirical research utilizing the communal learning construct suggests that culturally-informed pedagogy enhances academic performance for African-American children. The present investigation examined the effect of culturally-informed learning contexts on recall performance in geography lessons. The sample consisted of 69 African-American Grade 4-5…

This research used a copying task to study spelling acquisition from a perception and action perspective. First to fifth graders copied words and pseudo-words on a digitiser. Simultaneously, a camera registered the children's gaze lifts. First and second graders copied the first syllable and then produced a gaze lift to obtain information on the…