Bringing together an enthusiasm for biography and a belief in in-depth learning through long-term projects which include manipulating the material to be learned, this book presents a reading-and-writing approach to biography for elementary and middle school students in which students research and write biographies. Following a foreword and an…

In 1988, a study was conducted to determine whether a holistic or an isolated skills approach is more effective in improving the reading abilities and attitudes toward reading of predominantly Hispanic community college students. The study sample consisted of two groups of developmental reading students. The majority of students in both groups…

This report presents the results of the evaluation of the 1988-89 Comprehensive Instructional Management Systems-Communication Arts (CIMS-CA) program, which focused on developing a holistic communication arts curriculum and staff development program reflecting the most recent research for students in kindergarten through eighth grade;…

Implications of two studies conducted by the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) at the University of West Florida (Pensacola) regarding electrophysiological determinants of cognitive style (CS) are discussed. Most of the IHMC's research focuses on bimodal processing theory, according to which the human brain has at least two…

The aim and focus of holistic learning is making connections, e.g., connections between subjects or between thinking and intuition. Integrated studies implies a holistic approach to learning and a curriculum that has the capacity to combine three positions on the function of schooling: transmission of facts, skills, and values; transaction or…

The expansion process of the family after the arrival of a second child was the focus of this longitudinal study. Sixteen families, each with one child between one and three years old and a second child born at the beginning of the study, were observed in everyday situations when one or both parents were interacting with one or both children.…

Narrowly defining reading as a list of skills dealing with word attack and letter sounds is potentially crippling to readers, because it limits the instruction provided by those who write literature--authors, who, in creating text, create meaning. The nature of reading instruction should not structure the ways human beings come to deal with…

Transparency theory is a view of learning and skill acquisition that grew out of the tradition in psychology that emphasizes the functional and holistic aspects of human perception and action. It emphasizes the tacit skill aspects of language acquisition and the functioning of language as a tool of social interaction as well as the more…

Research on sex differences in communication has produced mixed and contradictory results. An erroneous overlap exists between self reports of male-female behaviors, others' reports of perceived behaviors, and stereotyped projections based on social conditioning. The solution to this confusion in gender communication research may be triangulation,…

This document outlines a theory of learning and education for the teaching of mathematics. The theory is termed a cognitive taxonomy. The taxonomy, developed over a 15-year period, is based on the connection between mathematical material and pupils' reactions to it. The function of this connection is termed a process. The taxonomy is based on the…

Twelve community residents (10 women, 2 men; average age = 67) registered for a continuing education class in "creative living for elders." In 10 weekly, 2-hour sessions, a clinical psychologist and two artists led the group in exercise, muscle relaxation, regulated breathing, guided imagery, affirmations, and sensory awareness integrated with art…

Part of a series designed to help community groups engage in discussion on the possibility of individual and community transformation, this discussion paper explores fundamental principles of existence which have implications for a healthy and wholistic approach to the elimination of prejudice that will contribute to individual and societal…

An addition to the "wholeness of language" debate, this document is divided into two sections. The first reviews theories regarding the reading writing relationship, suggesting that an awareness of the interdependencies and commonalities among various forms of communication may provide insights leading to students learning to read like…

There are a number of advantages to including child and family therapy services in a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). Because the concept of the HMO is based on a holistic systems-oriented model, it can utilize short-term, structured, and strategic interventions without the burdens of autocratic forms of psychological assessment, large…

Using such ethnographic techniques as interviews, classroom observations, and videotape recordings, a study explored the impact of two kindergarten teachers' theoretical orientations to literacy (whole language versus mechanics/skills) on children's developing concepts of writing. Data analysis revealed that children in a communication/whole…