Examines praise as one of the ways children learn how to play an appropriate role in the school environment. Presents an analysis of praise during group discussion in four child-care centers. Suggests that in all four centers, children were being schooled in passivity rather than being encouraged to be active problem solvers and knowledge seekers.…

Effects of self-monitoring alone and in combination with external contingent rewards on sight word acquisition were compared across two groups of four learning-disabled elementary students. Both treatments were found to increase sight word vocabulary, but contingent reward did not enhance the reactivity of self-monitoring for most students.…

This case study of an 11-year-old boy with moderate/severe mental retardation, seizures, and behavior disorders in an inclusive classroom setting describes how a program of assessment and intervention eliminated the behavior problems, was maintained following the intervention, and generalized to 3 nontargeted problem behaviors. Intervention…

This study, with 4 parent-child dyads in which the children (ages 9 to 11) exhibited substantial homework problems, found that goal setting and contingency contracting produced significant improvements in children's homework accuracy. Two of the subjects showed substantial improvements in on-task behavior. Parents rated the procedures highly.…

The purpose of this study was to identify what and how preservice teachers observe when peer coaching during an early field experience. Twenty-three male and 14 female preservice teachers trained in peer coaching participated in the study. Coaches observed a peer partner teach five 40-min lessons to small groups of elementary or junior high school…

This study explored the results of aligning functional behavioral assessment (FBA) information with positive behavior support plans (PBS plans) designed with consideration for teacher acceptability. The independent variable had the three major components of a package, including assessment and planning (FBA), training (teachers, students, and…

Scott Hinkley, a career-changer in Indiana and presently a first-year teacher, teams up with one of his teachers, Debbie Rickey, assistant director of the MA in Teaching Program at Earlham College, to illustrate through personal experiences, their teaching program's emphasis on the practical application of passion for pre-service students that…

Children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (ASD) typically exhibit a lack of social reciprocity skills. They often struggle to maintain conversations, especially with topics of little or no interest to them, and to create meaningful relationships. By giving compliments to others, children with ASD have a means by which to show…

In this article, the author describes how Cato-Meridian, a 450-student rural high school in the New York State, successfully implemented a new cocurricular eligibility policy that integrated after-school activities with student academic accountability. The program created data that drove decisions about student life and student-teacher interaction…

Noting that obtaining desired behavior in early childhood classrooms requires an understanding of developmentally appropriate guidance, this booklet provides guidelines for preschool teachers on developmentally appropriate behavior guidance for 3- and 4-year-olds. The booklet examines various techniques for behavior guidance that encourage…

This technical assistance paper focuses on enhancing teachers' ability to match their expectations with children's existing or emerging capabilities and to facilitate children's development of inner control. Encouraging teachers to adopt a humanistic approach, which promotes opportunities for children to learn and become self-directed, is…

This practicum was developed to encourage the at-risk urban elementary school student to read for pleasure daily. Participants listened to their favorite rap songs, wrote lyrics for their own rap songs, and then read the lyrics as a text. The practicum was performed in a neighborhood community recreation center that serves urban students from…

Current research on school effectiveness concludes that differences among schools affect students' academic achievement. An important characteristic of effective schools is providing a safe and secure environment. An example of programs that address this issue are peer mediation or conflict resolution programs. These programs require the combined…

This report summarizes activities and findings of a federally funded center at the Research Triangle Institute (North Carolina) reviewing current knowledge concerning nonpharmacological interventions for improving educational outcomes for students with attention deficit disorders (ADD). For each of the seven topics reviewed, the report provides a…

Four deaf-blind students at the Massachusetts Association for the Blind were involved in a pilot aerobic program consisting of jogging for 15-20 minutes three times a week. Students were chosen based on their enjoyment of this fast movement and they were given clearance for this activity by both a doctor and a physical therapist. The students'…