This paper presents and discusses data based on the perceptions of 128 persistent school absentees on their initial and continued reasons for missing school. The findings suggest that a greater proportion of the students were inclined to blame their institutions, rather than social or psychological factors, for their behavior. (SSH)

Reviews and considers the developmental implications of recent evidence on the nature of sibling interaction from observational studies of preschool children. Argues that, in contrast to complementary interaction, sibling influence is most plausibly associated with reciprocal interaction and with sociocognitive development. (Author/RH)

Educators can be among the first to identify neglected or potentially neglected children if they are aware of characteristics/behaviors of these children, such as chronic hunger, delayed growth, isolation from social contact, inappropriately directed attachment behaviors, low self-concept, chronic tardiness, resignation, and indifference to…

Discusses the nature and importance of social skills for the elderly, including social skills deficits and psychological disorders related to aging, in five papers presented as part of a Symposium on Social Skills at the XII International Congress of Gerontology, Hamburg, July 1981. (JAC)

A meta-analysis was conducted of 65 studies related to relationships between science teacher background characteristics and either their classroom behavior or student outcomes. In general, low relationships were found between these characteristics and classroom teaching behavior and student outcome characteristics. Summary tables showing strongest…

Investigated effects of limited oral/physical teacher intervention on object manipulation by preschool/early elementary children (N=70). Experimental students had magnets placed in their hands and were orally invited to explore. Results indicated differences between experimental/control groups in time spent with objects, number of activities…

Seventy-one ideas for learning activities in the elementary school classroom are described. Activities are included in the areas of fine arts, mathematics, language arts, history, writing, listening skills, and science. (CJ)

Examines the role of reciprocity in bargaining interaction. Focuses on labor/management differences in communication structure; their impact on bargaining outcomes; and the effect of sex-role composition on bargaining communication. Results, among other findings, demonstrated that management relied on defensive tactics while labor specialized in…

Reviews theory and research on various aspects of prosocial development, discusses curricula designed to increase the ability of young children to behave in prosocial ways, and lists six factors that can be used to facilitate children's prosocial development. (RH)

The role of vision and bodily movement in the field of language instruction is explained by a phonetician and professor of modern language. (CS)

Children in kindergarten grade were studied comparing pupils who had previously attended preschool with those who had not. Reading (or reading readiness) and mathematics achievement, academic potential, social and emotional maturity, conformity to successful pupil behaviors, and adjustment to academic and social setting in the classroom were…

Questionnaires were administered to 22 principals and 41 biology teachers to determine level of agreement/disagreement when using established criteria to measure effectiveness of an outstanding biology teacher. Results indicated that principals/teachers agree on relative importance of most criteria, particularly those relating to teachers'…

In this critique of "Time to Learn," a publication dealing with the Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study, the reviewer argues that time spent on a task is not an adequate measure of instructional quality or relevance. Other limitations of the book and of the study are discussed. (PP)

A comparison of frequency and directionality of 13 Navajo and 7 Caucasian preschool children's oral-linguistic and nonoral-visual behaviors in an urban classroom and playground revealed Navajo children to be far less oral-linguistic, considerably less oral-nonlinguistic, and strikingly more nonoral-visual than the Caucasian children. (NEC)