Intergenerational activities are any activities planned to be of mutual benefit to more than one age group. This manual concentrates on school-age children and older adults sharing experiences in the library or elsewhere using library materials. The following four models are introduced: (1) Sharing Letters; (2) Sharing Stories; (3) Sharing…

This study examined the effectiveness of Project Spectrum, an intervention program for at-risk students and an approach to assessment and curriculum development that identifies a child's area of strength and constructs the education and learning experiences around the child's competencies. A total of 119 students in 6 first grade classrooms…

Findings of a study that examined the effects of teacher behavior and organizational factors on student behavior in peer work groups are presented in this paper. Methodology included observation of one classroom from each of 10 Dutch elementary schools that frequently used forms of peer work groups and teacher interviews. Findings indicate that…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined the influence of organizational and instructional factors on the efficacy of cooperative learning in Dutch classrooms, as measured by student achievement. To answer the question "What is the degree to which primary schools in the Netherlands use cooperative learning," a questionnaire…

This study examined the effects of adolescent pubertal status, adolescent gender, parent gender, and conversation topic on parent and adolescent affective expression. Subjects were 85 adolescents in fifth through ninth grade who participated in 2 separate 8-minute conversations, one pleasant and one unpleasant, with their mother and father…

This report and a motivation seminar were prepared for teachers in the Social Sciences Department at Champlain Regional College (Quebec) to study motivational dispositions of students who either avoided registering for a course in Quantitative Methods or failed out in important numbers. Teachers' consensus was that students in general seemed to…

Being a teaching professional is a complex task within the social and organizational context in which teachers work. A model, "Variability of Developmental Needs within a Teaching/Learning Situation," provides a visual picture of the wide variety of students, typically in the broad but "average range" of knowledge,…

The search for knowledge about effective teachers has produced a great deal of research activity utilizing a variety of research techniques. This paper discusses research on national Teachers of the Year (Shanoski and Hranitz, 1989, 1990, 1991) and relates it to the teacher effectiveness clusters identified by Donald Cruikshank (1990) in his study…

This report contains data from the 1991 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, administered to 1,440 high school students throughout Wisconsin. Included are data on the prevalence of injuries; drug use; sexual behaviors; dietary behaviors; and physical activity. The results revealed that over 80% of students rarely or never wear bicycle helmets and 50%…

A behavioral treatment program was used to improve the functional skills of a 12-year-old anoxic child. Neuropsychological test results indicated marked amnesia and global cognitive deficits. Functionally, self-care tasks could be performed, but only with verbal and physical prompting. Introduction of a monetary reward system significantly reduced…

In this study of preservice teachers' views about college classroom teaching and learning, 161 students in an undergraduate teacher preparation program were divided into 3 groups (academically talented, high average, and average). Students were asked to express their attitudes toward college instructors' teaching skills, course organization,…

An ethnographic case study examined a kindergarten teacher's efforts to promote multicultural literacy learning in her own classroom and school. The teacher taught in a predominantly white, suburban, K-2 elementary school and considered literacy learning as a social process related to community building. The teacher presented her plan for…

The incidence of multiple births has increased dramatically in the past two decades. Given this trend, it seems reasonable to assume that many teachers will have twins and other multiple siblings in their classes at some point in their classroom careers. This Digest offers some pointers for educators facing the challenges of educating multiples.…

This study examines how accurately first-year undergraduate students at a public university self-report family income. A comparison of student-reported income to financial aid records found that less than 40 percent of students in three incoming classes of first-year undergraduates (1995, 1996, 1997) accurately reported family income on an…

Elementary school students often exhibit a lack of social skills that interferes with positive classroom interaction. This action research project examined the impact of an intervention for improving respect for others, self control, and listening to increase cooperative behavior in students. The targeted population consisted of a class of fourth…