A study compared three procedures for teaching social skills with 13 intermediate-age students with learning disabilities, emotional disturbances, or visual impairments who also participated in cooperative-learning groups. Students who received teacher-directed instruction improved in listening, problem solving, and negotiating skills during…

In this discussion of quantitative research synthesis, past criticisms of meta-analysis are reviewed along with the ways they have been addressed. Objections to single-subject synthesis methods are discussed, along with the advantages of using the percentage-of- nonoverlapping-data metric. The article concludes by questioning the veracity of…

This article discusses key aspects of school-based efforts to identify school context variables that can either ameliorate or exacerbate the risk for violence and aggression. A review of risk factors for aggression is followed by discussion of intervention in early childhood, intervention throughout middle childhood and adolescence, teaching…

Descibes template for developing compliments based upon authors' experiences working in a community mental-health clinic. Examines the five components of the template: normalizing statements, restructuring statements, affirmation of client competencies, a bridging statement, and a suggestion. Features case examples and a transcript of a compliment…

This article addresses the issues associated with school failure, delinquency, and violence. Prevention strategies for diverting at-risk children and youth are described and illustrated, including supporting families, developing and implementing school-based prevention approaches, supporting schools, improving academic and social competence, and…

Presents data that illustrate the difficulties experienced by two Asian students in their negotiation of academic objectivity as they completed research towards their Master's degrees in an Australian University. For both students, academic objectivity involved a redefinition of self-identity as well as a reversal of acceptable face and politeness…

Twenty children with autism were compared to children with Down syndrome (n=19) and typical peers (n=20) in visual orientation to two social and two nonsocial stimuli and in ability to share attention. Children with autism frequently failed to orient to all stimuli, particularly social stimuli, and exhibited attention deficits. (Author/CR)

Examined whether fourth- and fifth-grade children's social goals and strategies in friendship conflict situations are predictive of their friendship adjustment, after accounting for level of peer acceptance. Found that children's goals were highly related to their strategies and that children's goals and strategies were predictive of their…

Examined the effectiveness of a year-long integrated language and music program (the Expressive Language and Music Project) to enhance Singaporean kindergartners' English oral-language competency. Found that the natural communicative setting and creative use of resources and activities based on the Orff and Kodaly approaches facilitated language…

This article examines the social skills training research-to-practice process and argues that a logical and attendant line of rigorous study is lacking. Areas of social inquiry are drawn from to discuss the need for conceptual frameworks to guide investigation and offer a way for research to be designed and interpreted. (Contains references.)…

This article discusses preliminary research results that indicate placement of children (n=216) with emotional/behavioral difficulties into a Nurture Group has a positive effect on a significant proportion of pupils. There is also evidence that the parents of children in Nurture Groups benefit from the positive progress made by their children.…

A study examining student perceptions of cooperative learning surveyed 210 college students. Results were contradictory, with positive evaluations of some specific techniques and less than positive evaluations of cooperative learning in general. Less than half perceived it to affect motivation positively. Colleges should promote a shift in student…

The Discovery Center (Ashford, Connecticut) is a camp/university/school program that provides a positive diversity experience to preadolescents through experiential education in an outdoor, residential setting. Students from at least four cultural groups are mixed for all cabin and lab groups, and all camp activities are retooled to pursue the…

This article discusses the importance of affective education in fostering emotional development and leadership skills, interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences, and the affective needs of gifted and talented students. The teacher's role in integrating an affective component in the curriculum is described and strategies are provided, including…

Focuses on changes over time in university level Japanese students' sociocultural perceptions of social status during the year they studied abroad in Canada and the impact of the changes on their pragmatic use of English when offering advice. Compared the development of 97 Japanese exchange students' pragmatic competence with that of 102 peers in…