A study of patterns of literacy behaviors in high level literacy environments with varying levels of access to the environment began with a study of the instruments involved. Goals were to: (1) examine the reliability of the Survey of Displayed Literacy Stimuli; (2) study the correlation between scores from the Survey of Displayed Literacy Stimuli…

This self-development guide for the preservice or beginning classroom teacher focuses on professional and personal growth in the context of the classroom and concentrates on teachers' affective side, a perspective or component of teaching that is not often addressed in the preparation of teachers. The volume begins with a discussion of the…

This paper investigates the ways in which department chair and principal leadership influence the teaching secondary social studies classes. Based upon research in three sets of high schools, leadership efforts in the areas of curriculum program development, faculty collegiality, staff development, and school culture are explored. Instructional…

This pilot study examined the treatment of kindergarten children by one student teacher to determine whether there were differences in the teacher's treatment of male and female children. Data were collected by observing and tape recording a kindergarten classroom in which a student teacher interacted with 10 male and 10 female students for a…

This booklet outlines the basics of a schoolwide whole language program and describes the roles of teachers and the principal in it. Because there are legitimate differences among good programs, guidelines and suggestions are offered more often than definitive answers. The first four sections are entitled, respectively "Principles of Language…

This book presents results of a longitudinal study of the effects of whole language instruction on six first- and second-grade African-American students at risk of failure. The book has three levels of meaning: how teachers engage children in genuine literacy, how the process of engaging in a literate community increases learning, and how truly…

This paper is about a teaching program that was developed at a school in Alice Springs, a small town in Australia that has influenced teaching programs for Aboriginal children in that country. At Traeger Park school, the Aboriginal children speak English, although the speech of many children is characterized as Aboriginal English dialect. The…

A discussion of classroom research on language teaching looks at what researchers have learned so far from attempts to study what happens in the language classroom. The discussion is based on the idea that it is not the currency of instructional method used that matters most, but rather a fuller understanding of classroom interaction. The first…

This book addresses the issue of the underrepresentation of minority teachers and the lack of knowledge in schooling and teacher education concerning cultural differences and their affect on human interaction. It offers general frameworks within which specific problem situations can be addressed while also emphasizing the culture-learning…

This study investigated the characteristics and beliefs of Head Start teachers and teacher aides and the classroom structural dimensions that are associated with Head Start classroom quality. The quality of classroom teaching practices was assessed using the Assessment Profile for Early Childhood Programs: Research Version. Teachers completed the…

This action research project implemented and evaluated a program for improving social skills in order to increase cooperative behavior among elementary school students. The targeted students were from a fourth- and a sixth-grade classroom in a middle-class suburban community. The lack of social skills development interfered with positive…

This brief paper offers suggestions for parents and teachers working together to develop meaningful communication skills in deaf multihandicapped children. An intervention program developed by Jan VanDijk is described. This program involves the use of environmental engineering to teach language concepts with materials such as a calendar box with…

Drawing on research into the importance of early childhood education, this guide provides guidance to those responsible for planning and implementing programs for young children in New York State. The guide suggests that quality preschool programs can meet the expectations of the Regents as expressed in their 1992 Early Childhood Policy Statement…

This study compared the effects of personal characteristics and teaching practices in the development of professional competencies by undergraduate engineering students. A survey completed by 480 engineering students gathered information concerning students' personal, academic, and demographic characteristics; characteristics of their current…

This paper suggests that for students to become accustomed to democratic habits of thought and conduct, they must continually practice them throughout the course of their school career. The daily interaction between the teacher and the pupil can influence the formation of attitudes and habits essential to democratic citizenship. For teachers, the…