Describes a study in which students who read widely showed greater improvement in writing after nine weeks than did students who had frequent writing assignments, with the implication that reading should be integral to writing practice. (RW)

Research performed under grant from the U.S. Office of Education.

Gifted children have the same health needs as do other children, but because of their accelerated intellectual abilities, their need for information may out-distance that of peers. Aspects of a special summer health course, designed for academically talented fourth and fifth graders, are described. (Author/JMK)

A study investigated the effect of microcomputer-assisted instruction on the acquisition of computer literacy by 86 fifth-grade students. Results indicate that the use of microcomputer-assisted instruction significantly improved the computer literacy of the students. (Authors/CJ)

Suggests that some young readers are aware of text structure and that this awareness is correlated with recall of important textual information. (AEA)

Using various musical selections, researchers compared learning rates and styles of fifth-grade and senior citizen choruses. The younger and older learners were compared by their performances (tone, pitch, and note retention). Results indicated the older adults performed better. Available from College of Education, Kansas State University,…

The effectiveness of mnemonic (memory-enhancing) materials that were developed by the authors to teach fourth and fifth graders the state capitals of the United States was examined in two experiments. (Author/MP)

The efficacy of an applied behavior analysis model for enhancing creativity is reported. The model was implemented through teacher inservice training. Results indicate the positive effects at a much more time- and resource-economical level than methods previously demonstrated. (Author/GK)

This study examined general factors influencing mathematics performance as perceived by teachers and students. Eight fifth-grade mathematics classes were observed for five months. The students' self-concept of ability seemed a crucial construct, explaining performance differences and perception-of-task relevant characteristics such as nervousness,…

Investigates the relationships between the occurrence of mazes (garbles, word tangles, or false starts), sentence complexity, and the use of connectives in 20 fifth-grade students. (HOD)