Help struggling readers understand content area texts with research-based, innovative classroom tools that foster lifelong reading comprehension habits. This book presents easy-to-use activities organized around six habits of reading comprehension: (1) Organizing text information by sculpting the main idea and summarizing; (2) Connecting to…

This collection is intended to help teachers encourage active learning by involving students in classroom learning and to encourage teachers to cultivate critical thinking through thought-provoking questions. The readings include: (1) "The Dreaded Discussion: Ten Ways To Start" (Peter Frederick); (2) "Classroom Structures Which Encourage Student…

This paper asserts that memorization is an under-valued language acquisition strategy, noting that by including memorization in communication classrooms through oral question-and-answer prompts, songs, and memorized dialogues/skits, second language teachers can enhance student learning. The paper explains how oral questions offer a cooperative…

Undergraduate students' written exams were analyzed from a freshman-level mathematics course that emphasized, among other topics, the study of mathematical logic. Findings indicate that on questions related to the negation of a conditional sentence, students performed much better when given natural-language contexts than they did on questions…

In traditional, grammar-oriented second language classrooms, the most common classroom procedure is for the teacher to ask the student a question for which the answer is already known to both. Because no real information is exchanged, this is not a communicative practice. It is alien to the real communicative needs of students, involves no…

This paper investigates the need for the infusion of critical thinking instruction into the teaching of the journalistic practice of questioning. Given research done in the area of questioning, it seems probable that critical thinking instruction could enable students to employ self-directed thinking skills that would allow them to ask better…

This paper discusses critical questioning (i.e., Socratic questioning) as a requirement for critical thinking and examines how critical questioning techniques can be incorporated into a technology-based course. A taxonomy of Socratic questioning is presented that includes the following categories of questions: questions of clarification; questions…

Offers selected ERIC references on the application of Piagetian theory and the use of Piagetian tasks in beginning reading/language arts instruction. (RL)

Notes the difficulties of getting students to respond to literature. Outlines an idealized conversation about a literary work, with some excerpts of the kinds of student-teacher exchanges that can occur. Offers a guide sheet for conducting such literary conversations. (RL)

Kindergarten teachers were more likely to discipline when boys were verbally disruptive, but disciplined girls for disruptive aggressive behaviors. Teachers were physical when responding to boys' disruptions and used verbal and nonverbal behaviors when responding to girls' disruptive behaviors. Girls' questions received longer teacher responses.…

Reports results of a study designed to determine how well several forms of adjunct questions establish encoding by visual imagery, and whether such coding enhances performance compared to questions designed to encourage verbal encoding alone. (CS)

Argues that college teachers need special skills and sensitivities to be competent at distance education, including: skills in course planning/organization, verbal/nonverbal presentation skills, collaborative skills, questioning strategies, subject matter expertise, skill at involving students and coordinating field site activities, understanding…

Lists 30 reminders for successfully communicating with students and nurturing their interest in science. Each reminder is accompanied by specific strategies for working with middle school students. (DDR)