A study of 39 rural kindergarten students and their parents examined the relationships between parental print exposure, socioeconomic status (SES), and children's early language and literacy skills. Results suggest that SES had minimal impact on children's literacy and that parental print exposure strongly influenced children's vocabulary and…

Offering boys greater choice over what they learn may help address their underachievement in modern languages. However, they may not profit from this unless they are given explicit guidelines regarding how to go about their learning. The article discusses the effects of social and educational contexts, student motivation, learning strategies,…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to recognize that individual learning styles must be taken into account in the instructional design template used in online education. The paper argues that when students' learning styles are identified, it is possible to define an appropriate context of learning. Design/methodology/approach: The paper…

This article examines evidence provided by quantitative and qualitative measurement of second language (L2) proficiency by elementary-level learners of French, following participation in a school foreign exchange visit. Based on a study consisting of a controlled analysis of test results from 68 pupils studying French at three secondary schools in…

This article enters an ongoing discussion about the usefulness of different theories and different research designs in the analysis of classroom writing. Starting with questions about how students interpret the norms of writing and their own selves in school writing, it demonstrates the relevance of an ecological theory of writing,…

Research experiences are becoming increasingly available for undergraduate science students. Although many undergraduate research programs are designed with assessment-friendly outcomes as stated goals, a more personalized approach in goal setting can help administrators and mentors design fulfilling experiences for their students. Implementation…

This study aimed to investigate the importance of self-efficacy and attitudes to wards writing in writing training. It was also necessary to establish whether these constructs could be more enhanced through a specific intervention as part of the motivational factors, than through training which coaches other writing components such as cognitive…

The article examines third graders who use reading, speaking, writing, gestures, and visual representation strategically in their inquiry research and to share what they learn. Examples of their speaking, writing and drawing shows their developing skill in choosing semiotic meaning-making systems appropriately for the purpose of developing their…

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has ushered in an era of increased accountability and assumed universal proficiency at a time when there is significant variability in children's abilities as they enter kindergarten. Despite NCLB's emphasis on the use of evidence-based practices to improve students' achievement, it explicitly recommends grade…

In a 3-year longitudinal, mixed-method study, 67 children in two schools were observed during literacy activities in Grades 1-3. Children and their teachers were interviewed each year about the children's motivation to read and write. Taking a grounded theory approach, content analysis of the child interview protocols identified the motivations…

Intended for the K-2 classroom, this book provides teachers with ideas and materials for teaching the writing process. The book contains reproducible thinking charts and graphic organizers including mind mapping, prewriting story structure, and topic, content, and editing charts. Advice for classroom management and the organization and structure…

This paper outlines a model of study mode negotiation between clients and English Language Training providers that has been developed at the University of Malaya, specifically related to English language writing skills as taught to corporate clients. Negotiation is used to reach decisions concerning the goals and methodology of learning to ensure…

A comprehensive, needs-based portfolio assessment system was developed for use with adult basic education (ABE)/General Educational Development (GED) students at an adult education and job training center in Lewistown, Pennsylvania. Consultation meetings were held with ABE/GED instructors, students, administrators, and counselors to identify…

The way in which graduate students in a course in school organization and administration at Washington State University (Pullman) have been guided through conducting original case studies of the administrators and others working in public schools and school districts was studied, as was the impact of these studies on the students. Students were…

This document reports how a writing/communication curriculum for incarcerated adults was developed in response to an informal survey taken at the Schuylkill County (Pennsylvania) Prison. Findings from students in the 1990-91 adult basic education course indicated that prisoners evidenced low-level writing skills, an apathetic attitude toward the…