This book looks at how teachers and young children talk to each other in the classroom, describing how a good teacher will use these conversations to build an encouraging classroom--a community where mutual acceptance is the priority and where children can learn the skills they will need in larger communities in the future. The skills include…

Although opportunities for sharing information about early childhood education increased with the disbanding of the Soviet Union in 1991, knowledge about how young children are cared for and educated in countries of the former Soviet Union remains limited. This report presents observations of a kindergarten class in Minsk, Belarus conducted…

High school students' lack of personal responsibility and academic ownership, negative or indifferent attitude, and lack of initiative and general motivation are often of concern to teachers and parents. This action research project evaluated an intervention to increase high school students' motivation, responsibility, and initiative. Students…

Fourth in a series designed to provide early childhood educators with ideas and strategies for applying High/Scope principles, this idea book focuses on working with the parents of young children and presents 30 one-hour parent workshops in five areas. The book's introduction presents guiding principles for working with adult learners, discusses…

Critics of bilingual education have cited the high Hispanic dropout rate as evidence against bilingual education. Since most bilingual education programs are Spanish-English, it is concluded that bilingual education must be responsible. Research shows some factors predicting dropout rates, including low English language ability, poverty, length of…

Using a theoretical model which examines three essential features thought to influence student attitudes (teacher, students, learning environment), the relationship between these features at three grade levels (4th--N=649, 7th--N=630, 9th--N=686) was investigated. Correlational/regression analyses, conclusions, and implications are reported.…

The relationship between classroom experiences and individual differences in expectations for future success in mathematics courses, self-concept of math abilities, and perceptions of the difficulty of math were investigated in an observational study of 17 math classrooms for grades five through nine. (Author/RH)

Examined the role of mainstream pupils in the integration of students with special education needs (SEN), based on accounts from both groups. Found that mainstream pupils control the experiences of pupils with SEN in both positive and negative ways. Results suggest ways schools might guide mainstream pupils' understanding of disability and promote…

Transcripts of the classroom conversations of seven profoundly deaf 13- and 14-year-old students and their teachers were analyzed, using Vygotsky's theories on the social nature of learning and the role of mediation. Results of the study found that conversation builds ideas, facilitates comprehension of text, encourages cognitive development, and…

A videoconference instructor can adjust the tempo and activity of a class by opening alternative windows of information. Examines videoconferencing from a rhetorical perspective and proposes a lesson plan chart that helps teachers organize and manage instruction by coordinating instructional concepts, learning modes, teaching tools, and end goals…

Further explains the theory of "experiential time," which argues that children can process more information and have more time for complex play when the size of the learning environment is decreased, which increases a child's command of space. (SD)

Describes a qualitative evaluation of an elementary schoolwide computer implementation project. Highlights include the use of interviews, questionnaires, and surveys with teachers, students, and parents; changes in teacher attitudes and roles, classroom management, and classroom climate; and a model for creating a community of learners through the…

Analyzes the teacher-child talk during art activities conducted by two Australian and two Asian teachers in four Australian child care centers. Discovers differences in the use of the evaluative subcategories repeat and rephrase. Includes transcript samples of the conversations. (MJP)

Describes experiences with developing language and listening skills through storytelling in two multigraded elementary classrooms. Discusses how to: launch the program through literature and storytellers; implement the program, including storytelling ideas; maintain a supportive environment; assess children using anecdotal observation sheets; and…

If universities were serious about enhancing student learning, they would explore other ways of organizing work, including reorganization of the curriculum into learning communities that enable learning to span the disciplines, creating classrooms that promote collaborative learning experiences, and using forms of assessment that encourage shared…