When taught social skills such as asking for help, working with others, and making decisions, children are better able to face lifes challenges. This guide offers theories behind and practices for consciously teaching social skills and applying them in the classroom setting to build a sense of community through shared experience and honorable…

Noting the increasing number of students who cannot read, this book shows parents, educators, caregivers, policymakers, and others how to promote the reading success of young children. It focuses on children from birth through the first 5 years of formal schooling, and includes practical guidelines, program descriptions, advice on resources, and…

For over 30 years, Foxfire has been developing an approach to learning that is learner-centered and community-focused. Foxfire's initial success resulted from a successful student-produced magazine in a rural Georgia high school. Attempts to duplicate this success often overlooked the key ingredients, student choice and academic integrity, that…

A study examined English-dominant and Spanish-dominant students' perceptions of opportunities to communicate in science and mathematics classrooms. A survey was administered to 207 Mexican American secondary students who attended a summer enrichment program in mathematics and science at a university on the Texas-Mexico border. The students were…

Based on a four-year study of the Common Knowledge: Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) project--one of four national "testbeds" for the exploration of the Internet's potential for improving education, this paper explores the factors that delayed, shaped, and constrained Internet use in a large urban school district. Although a substantial amount…

Poor social skills among young elementary school students can result in lack of cooperation with others and an inability to resolve conflicts. This action research project examined the impact of a program for improving social competence through improving listening skills, cooperation, respect for others, and respect for authority. Participating in…

In the last 8 or 10 years there has been unusual progress in the establishment of kindergartens in most of the cities and States, but still the kindergarten is a phase of school work less known than the work of the grades in the elementary schools. Many school officers and school architects lack information as to the character of rooms and…

Describes the insecure, control-hungry personality often found in principals and the dependent personality often found in their faculties. Explains how these two personalities affect a school and its students, who can learn freedom and independence only from a free and independent teacher. (SB)

Provides middle-level teachers with suggestions for evaluating their classroom environment to guarantee a positive classroom climate that will enable students to develop a positive self-concept and achieve academically. Presents six evaluative factors that address challenge, freedom, respect, warmth, control, and success issues. (SD)

Features a self-quiz on school readiness introducing the skills children need to succeed in school. Discusses the caregiver's and teacher's role in creating an environment where children can develop the necessary traits of independence, compassion, trust, creativity, self-control, and perseverance. Delineates how these readiness skills also…

Considers 3- to 6-year-olds' work cycle, looking first to the Montessori concept of normalization, manifest as increasing depth of concentration. Offers guidelines for a "protected lesson," designed to foster independence. Discusses interest and purpose as the basis for work, work "curves," control of error, presentation…

Compares the effectiveness of Nihongo-CALI (Japanese Computer Assisted Language Instruction) with non-CALI workbook instruction. Findings reveal that given the same grammar notes and exercises, ongoing intelligent computer feedback is more effective than simple workbook answer sheets for developing learners' grammatical skill in producing Japanese…

Observations and interviews with white high school physical educators and minority students examined perceptions of power and conflict. Both groups noted conflicts of interest related to the value of an educational focus for the class. Both parties attempted to use their resources and power to achieve their valued goals. (SM)

Mathematics achievement was used to distinguish between resilient and nonresilient Latino middle-school students, primarily immigrants from working-class families speaking English as a Second Language. Resilient students had greater involvement and satisfaction in math class, academic self-concept, and achievement motivation than nonresilient…

Maintains that much of the high school curriculum, particularly in social studies, contains innumerable facts that have no use except to pass school tests. Reviews research on effective instruction as applied to social studies. Includes 17 characteristics of highly engaging social studies teaching and learning. (ACM)