Academic engaged time of six children with low-incidence disabilities in general education elementary classes was compared to six students without disabilities from the same classes and six students without disabilities from different, non-inclusive classes. No significant differences were found between academic responding and task management…

States that trust is a necessary component of a student-teacher relationship for maximal learning to occur. Finds that highly assertive teachers did well with assertive students but fared poorly with less assertive students. Concludes that the positive relationship of teacher responsiveness with student trust was not affected by differing levels…

Examines students' ability to understand definitions of novel verbs--in 2 experiments upper elementary students received definitions of pseudowords paired with sentences using those words and evaluated use as appropriate for definition given. Finds students' judgments about these sentences were not substantially different from chance, suggesting…

Illustrates the power of responsive teaching and how one teacher used a modern poem about cruelty to address a recent incident of her own students' cruelty to a classmate. Notes that the class responded with compassion, tolerance, and a sense of caring for those who are different. (MG)

At Arizona State University, undergraduate teacher candidates were asked to make biweekly journal entries relating course content to beliefs and knowledge about teaching, classroom applications, children's probable responses, and personal reflections about teaching and learning. Many students organized their entries according to a…

This article, based upon a survey of 3000 teachers in 92 Illinois high schools, presents data on homework use by teachers. Data is provided on the amount, frequency, structure, purposes, and types of homework assigned to students. The level of school and parental support is also assessed. (IAH)

Examines strategies that students use to signal comprehension problems in classrooms, specifically, requests for clarification. Finds strategies differ with regard to the type and amount of communicative effort required of participants. (MS)

Describes a 7-year longitudinal study of drama at Arizona State University that involved 30 participants who started the study as kindergartners. Focuses on final exit interviews with selected participants. Concludes that theater is necessary for some children and that theater may become more valuable if children can be convinced of the personal…

This article questions the presentation of rules in the classroom and explores some of the different senses of the term "rule." After making some basic distinctions, the article considers implications for the classroom and suggests there is no single approach to the presentation of grammar rules, and that learners should be encouraged to…

An approach to teaching foreign languages that acknowledges the importance of individual readers' responses to literary texts read in the course is discussed. (20 references) (VWL)

Discusses the use of tabloid newspapers in the teaching of human sexuality. Suggests that many people obtain sex information from such publications. Explains how research projects using the papers were organized. Describes advantages and disadvantages and student reactions to the assignment. Includes an appendix containing example bibliographies.…

Some gifted children react disproportionately to criticism even when it is presented in a constructive and caring manner. This intense negative reaction may rest on unrealistic views of what it means to be gifted, sensitivity, high expectations of self and others, and self-criticism. (JDD)

This study of the automatic word and sign recognition of 66 hearing and deaf adults found that responding in sign took longer and created more Stroop interference than responding orally, independent of hearing status. Deaf subjects showed greater automaticity in recognizing signs than words, whereas hearing subjects showed greater automaticity in…

Twenty fourth grade students wrote brief answers to teacher questions on laminated response cards. Compared to hand raising, 6 target students exhibited more active student response during instruction, most of the 20 students scored higher on daily quizzes, and most preferred response cards over hand raising. (JDD)

Discusses reader-response theory and forces that mitigate against a reading-centered classroom. Asserts that the issues of authority and freedom are crucial but advises against demanding too much at this stage. Focuses on current practice, and suggests beginning with the routines, the "business as usual," of the literature classroom.…