Discussed is the nature of problems for students and teachers in the social studies which are caused by a lack of basic reading skills. Eleven suggestions for teachers on improving student reading levels are presented. (Author/DB)

Discusses optimal teacher actions in developing inquiry skills through Flanders Category System, (created to describe and classify classroom interactions), and Blooms Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, (created to identify levels of intellectual operations). Identifies different purposes served by different level questions. (Author/DB)

Description of the philosophy and general nature of a course at Drake University that emphasizes basic concepts of analytical thinking, including think, decompose, simplify, specify, and rethink problems. Some sample homework exercises are included. The journal is available from University of California Press, Berkeley, California 94720.…

Author visited one of Liverpool's more recent experiments in community education. (Editor/RK)

Describes microteaching/videotaping experiences of university students in an elementary school social methods course. Topics discussed include literature on microteaching as a teacher training device, videotapes in lesson analysis, possible microteaching lessons, planning and taping a lesson, viewing and critiquing the tape, and benefits and…

Discussed are results of a test which measured elementary educators' map reading skills. Results indicate that elementary educators must improve their skills if they are to provide fundamental map skills to students. (Author/DB)

Considers the effects of simulation games on student motivation, concept development, attitudes, values, social skills, and classroom conditions and organization. The conclusion is that simulation is a useful technique which can contribute to the achievement of some of the objectives of geographical education. For journal availability, see SO 505…

Discusses teaching techniques, course content, strategies, and problems of teaching a behavior modification course to university students. Course target areas include subjects such as anxiety control, fear elimination, weight control, smoking reduction, interpersonal interaction, assertiveness, and exercise maintenance. (Author/DB)

Describes and evaluates a demographic exercise intended for use by undergraduate students in courses on population problems. The exercise, involving demographic events in Japan in 1966, requests students to write a paper on Japan after answering 15 questions. Findings indicate that the exercise facilitates interdisciplinary thinking among students…

GED "Scoreboost" materials target exactly the skills one needs to pass the General Educational Development (GED) tests. This book focuses on the thinking skills needed to pass GED tests in Reading, Social Studies, and Science. The test taker will need to succeed with GED questions that involve comprehension, application, analysis,…

Extra learning opportunities (ELOs) help to ensure that children are successful in school and in life. Although before- and after-school programs have been around for decades, much is being learned about how the hours outside of school can be critical determinants of student achievement. With many forms and purposes, extra learning opportunities…

This study compares various approaches for incorporating family risk factors in explanatory models of children's achievement over the first 4 years of school. Living in poverty, in a single-parent household, in a household whose primary home language is non-English, and having a mother with less than a high school diploma are well-known risk…

Individuals differ in the level of skill with which they can identify their feelings and the feelings of others, manage these feelings, and use the information provided by their feelings to motivate adaptive behavior in themselves. Identifying the skill of a serious and violent juvenile offender (SVJ) to manage his emotional state is important for…

The understanding of "what works" in reading is dynamic and fluid, subject to ongoing review and assessment through serious research. While there are no easy answers or quick solutions for optimizing reading achievement, an extensive knowledge base now exists to show people the skills children must learn in order to read well. This guide, designed…

This report, a series of three background papers, was prepared as part of the Thailand Secondary Vocational Education Sector Study. The first background paper, "Intro Changing Workplaces, Changing Skills: Views from the Thai Private Sector on Work-Organization, Employee Recruitment and Selection" (Charles Abelmann, Lee Kian Chang,…