The article reviews findings in research about gifted readers, instructional materials, and curriculum. Promising teaching strategies are examined including interest assessment, learning styles evaluation, curriculum compacting, and enrichment. Innovative current programs and practices are briefly described. (Author/DB)

The behaviorist, cognitivist, and humanist approaches to learning all have advantages and disadvantages. A teaching cycle that uses all three techniques related to individual learning styles (theoretical, pragmatic, reflective, activist) may be the best route to achieving peak performance. (SK)

The paper reviews research studies on individual differences in students' predispositions to learning either in quiet or with sound. One study with 64 sixth graders found students achieved higher standardized reading test scores and had better attitudes when taught in congruent, rather than incongruent, environments. (DB)

Suggests that the effectiveness of specific teaching approaches may be highly dependent on individual learning styles. Reviews issues related to matching teaching and learning styles and identifies ways in which style information can be used to enhance instruction. (SK)

Examined whether cognitive attributes differentiate depressed children from those with other psychiatric disorders. Findings from 108 child and adolescent psychiatric patients revealed that depressed children endorsed significantly lower self-esteem, more hopelessness, more externalized locus of control, and more depressive attributional style…

Examines learning style characteristics of developmental and nondevelopmental junior college students. Finds significant differences between developmental and nondevelopmental students including field dependence, learning in the afternoon, sound present during learning, and motivation. Finds that field dependence-independence was the single best…

Discusses the position of Aboriginal people in Australian society and the relation of this position to the provision of early childhood education. Focuses on possible ramifications of popular perceptions of behavior on experiences and development of Aboriginal children. (RJC)

Passive learners rarely play a role in their own education, but follow whatever their teachers decide is best for them. Active learners are self-motivated, independent people who take responsibility for themselves. (JOW)

Describes the results of a study of the preferred learning style of rural and urban secondary school students. Reports rural students significantly higher in serious, analytical, and active practical learner characteristics than their urban counterparts as well as more observation centered and fact oriented. (Author/DHP)

Examines whether problem solving, decision making, and other thinking skills depend more on deep expertise in a specialty or on reflective awareness and general strategies. General and specialized knowledge function in close partnership. The partnership's nature and implications for educational practice are explored. (Author/BJV)

Administered questionnaires to 63 pregnant nullipara to determine factors that may influence their decision to stop smoking following childbirth. Results revealed three factors which contributed equally to explaining variance: perceived self-efficacy, smoking habits during pregnancy, and attitude. Also found significant differences between…

Responding to Steven A. Stahl's critique of the author's reading style claims, this article cites four successful pilot programs using the Reading Style Inventory. All four schools demonstrated dramatic reading gains. Generally, holistic reading instruction methods appear to match most closely the reading styles of young children and poor readers.…

Research conducted by the Center for Arts in the Basic Curriculum shows arts-integrated schools are the most promising way to improve American education. CABC's work is based on three principles: arts are cognitive domains triggering multiple forms of learning; effective arts education is an important educator model; and arts education will…

The Group Embedded Figures Test and Van Tilburg/Heimlich Teaching Style Preference instrument were completed by 31 agriculture student teachers (58% over age 25). Females were more field independent than the general female population. Overall, field independence was the preferred learning style and student-centered was the preferred teaching…

Investigates how metaphor influences a reader's ability to recall information about new concepts, assimilate new concepts into existing conceptual structures, and accommodate new concepts by creating new conceptual structures. Offers support for metaphor as an instructional device for formal reasoners. Suggests that metaphor may interfere with…