This report describes a program that will improve reading comprehension. The targeted population consists of second grade students at a rural northwestern Illinois school. Evidence for the existence of reading problems included daily teacher observations, student reading surveys, and assessments that indicated the level of student reading…

Noting that the early care and education environment is a vital contribution to children's learning, this book examines the early childhood learning environment with the vision of making it a place where young children will be physically, emotionally, esthetically, and intellectually nurtured. The chapters are: (1) "The Power of the Environment…

This paper presents detailed classroom management strategies for teachers working in middle- and secondary-level classrooms. The strategies include: (1) plan lessons that are well organized and fully developed, showing all the components of the teaching-learning cycle using a variety of strategies and activities that reflect multiple learning…

This study was designed to determine whether a sample of preservice teachers had different brain hemisphere processing modes, learning styles, environmental preferences, and course-related behaviors. The study population was 90 students enrolled in an undergraduate introductory special education course. Forty-four of the students were selected to…

Focusing on the argument that early childhood education plays a crucial role in children's future success, this guide provides information to educators about development-based education that leads to active and productive learning for children ages 4 through 6. The guide provides examples for planning and organizing classroom environments,…

Noting that literature on higher education instruction is sparse on the topic of class and course endings, this paper provides advice on how to successfully end individual classes and semester-long courses in ways that maximize learning and minimize discomfort. Based on this literature and a discussion the authors initiated through online computer…

This study examined teachers' perceptions of changes in student learning and changes in their teaching strategies after implementing the Partners Advancing the Learning of Math and Science (PALMS) approach in an urban Massachusetts school district. PALMS was a cooperative statewide systemic initiative funded by the Massachusetts Department of…

This study examined the influence of schools and teachers on students' attitudes and academic achievement, focusing on teacher characteristics in relation to student achievement. It also looked at three home environment factors (socioeconomic status, educational environment, and home climate) to see if students' family lives were an important…

Based on the view that the early childhood care and education environment can have a tremendous influence on infant and toddler development, this book will assist early childhood teachers/caregivers in meeting the challenge of creating an effective learning environment for infants and toddlers. The book includes ideas for planning, using, and…

Noting that most mainstream primary teachers have received little or no training focusing on working with the growing number of students who speak English as a second language, this booklet equips primary teachers with basic information regarding the instruction of children who speak English as a second language (ESL). The booklet identifies ten…

Disturbed by inequities created by tracking, many schools have attempted to "detrack" by consciously organizing students into academically heterogeneous classrooms. This paper, based on a year-long interpretive study of a detracked ninth grade English-History "core" program at a diverse urban high school, focuses on the…

This monograph presents a collection of methods, materials, and techniques for assessing and teaching students with mild to moderate mental retardation to become successfully literate. Part 1 offers a foundation for literacy instruction and considers whether students with mental retardation can learn to read and write, the existence of multiple…

Noting that preservice teachers and experienced teachers share a concern for classroom management, this study compared the beliefs of classroom teachers, intern teachers, and senior level practicum students regarding classroom management styles. Participating in the study were 43 early childhood and 44 elementary education preservice teachers, and…

The focus of this highly quantitative investigation is the analysis of the differences observed, both in methodological approach and in language choice in the classroom, during five years of classroom visitations. The study reflects information collected from two very different institutions with radically distinct populations: a rural setting with…

This teaching guide presents a rationale for proactive social skills training for persons with mental retardation as well as over 100 examples of such instruction across the K-12 continuum. Chapter 1 provides a conceptual framework of social competence with principles of what, when, and how to teach social skills. Chapter 2 discusses the direct…