Noting that role playing and writing as prereading activities have the potential to improve reading comprehension, a study tested the efficacy of a role playing method for improving reading comprehension. Students in three college developmental reading classes were asked to assume the role of author of a selection that they were about to read and…

Two studies are presented which investigate the influence of various toy structures on the frequency of individual fantasy play forms in 3- to 6-year-old children. In the first study, the effects of high-realistic/high-complexity and low-realistic/low-complexity toy structures were compared. There were significant main effects for the factor toy…

A study examined the effect of assigned social decision rule (whether a jury is required to give a unanimous or less than unanimous verdict) on the process and product of mock jury deliberations. Subjects, 360 students from an eastern university, were randomly assigned to six-member juries under three decision rule conditions: (1) unanimity, (2)…

As a means of dramatizing the interrelationships that determine the climate of a school, a simulation experience was created for participants in this workshop on school climate improvement. A discussion of the intent of the experience includes descriptions of "good" and "poor" school environments and their impact on the school community.…

This paper reports the preliminary results of an investigation of the effects of (1) a schoolwide discipline plan and (2) role playing, modeling, and video utilization upon the self concept of students in grades 3-6 and educable mentally handicapped students. The Piers-Harris Children's Self Concept Scale was used to assess the effectiveness of a…

The situation card used in the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages/Educational Testing Service (ACTFL/ETS) Oral Proficiency Interview provides a kind of linguistic-topographical map of the student's foreign language ability by measuring what the student of business Spanish is able or unable to do in business situations in that…

The concept and intercultural application of a "common sense" approach to communication deserves close scrutiny. In an intercultural context, "common sense" should be renamed "cultural perception." In fact, there is nothing that can universally transcend culture and be called "common sense.""Common…

A total of 103 preschool children of lower and middle socioeconomic status families were observed in three preschool programs during 15 standardized free play periods for the purpose of investigating preschool children's preferences for different types of traditionally used play materials. The influence of age, sex, and socioeconomic status (SES)…

Recently, emphasis has been placed on curriculum implementation of character development. The elementary school counselor can function as a curriculum consultant by providing a delivery system for affective goals and objectives in the curriculum. Elementary counselors can help administrators and teachers to define learning problems and establish…

Authors presented a detailed example of users actively and successfully involved in the planning of an alternative school by means of a unique planning process. Their planning model is one which can be readily adapted to other settings and interest groups. (Editor/RK)

The most important step to parent involvement is helping parents to value education. Successful parent involvement often hinges on employing a wide variety of presentation methods to meet parents' needs. Foremost, parents must learn to become effective collaborators with the school. When the focus is on the value of education, a plethora of topics…

Discusses the case study method of teaching high school chemistry as a supplement to traditional methods. The case study, provided by the instructor, generally focuses on a socially important issue related to chemistry; the student investigates the problem for one or two weeks and provides a solution. (MLH)

Some older adults experience difficulty in decentering their own viewpoint on tasks requiring spatial and communicative role-taking. To examine the social perspective-taking skills of older adults and the kinds of strategies older people would suggest to solve social dilemmas, adults were interviewed about their typical interpersonal problems. A…

This text, written for students and teachers of English Composition, incorporates writing instruction with concepts of transpersonal psychology in a holistic and cosmic approach to writing. The text comprises nine units, which include teaching materials, group and individual exercises, and writing assignments. Unit I presents techniques of…

The 35 exercises presented in this paper have been designed to simulate real-life experiences involving the process of persuasion and to enhance understanding of the persuasive process. Among the aspects of the persuasive process dealt with are the identification of persuasive events, emotive language, language intensity, source credibility,…