This manual contains materials for seven workshops on developing thinking skills in young children for teachers and teacher assistants in kindergarten through third grade. Contents of workshop (W) material focus, respectively, on (W1) convergent and divergent thinking; (W2) Bloom's levels of thinking; (W3) decision making, concept development, and…

The Fort Worth (Texas) Board of Education, Superintendent, and Texas State Legislature have implemented changes in the schools to increase student learning time. The purposes of this study were to determine (1) the percentage of allocated class time used for instruction; and (2) whether overall time utilization has changed since a similar 1979-80…

A study explored the effectiveness of "rap music" as a method of instruction for urban preschool children. It was hypothesized that urban preschool children would learn more new content (10 unfamiliar names of body parts) in a classroom environment through the use of rap music for instruction, than would children who received instruction…

Reading aloud to children is an important facet of the literate home environment and the best preparation for the establishment of preschool literacy skills. David was read to at every opportunity, and a diary was kept to observe, record, and study his emergent literacy events in the home. Since David often asked to have the same books read to…

By comparing high school students' total English scores on the California Achievement Test (CAT) and observing differences in performance based on grade level and gender, a recent study investigated whether significant differences exist between the achievement of students taught in an English phase-elective mini-course system and the achievement…

This research-in-dialogue study ascertained the viewpoints of representatives of 31 groups of East Kimberley (Australia) Aboriginal people on education, their priorities as to what issues government should be addressing, and their suggested strategies for achieving a system of education which meets perceived needs of the remote Aboriginal…

This report discusses activities directly linked with the implementation of the education action program set up in February 1976 by the Council of the European Communities and Ministers of Education. Activities relating to the pursuit of the European Community's vocational training policies are also addressed. Chapter I gives an account of the…

The 28 essays in this journal issue focus on methodology, interpretation, and classroom application of research in the language arts. Following a preface on the role of research in English instruction, the topics discussed include the following: (1) a research base for a large-scale evaluation of writing; (2) implications of teaching writing as…

In 1986, after a thorough review of educational goals for Saskatchewan (Canada) schools, the Saskatchewan Department of Education published its findings and recommendations. A key recommendation was to incorporate six "common essential learnings" categories into all courses of study offered in Saskatchewan schools. One of these six…

This guide familiarizes teachers with children's books and ways that they can be used to highlight and reinforce reading skills. Each of the 10 sections provides annotated lists of books, suggesting practical follow-up activities for skill development, extension, or enrichment. The beginning of each section includes remarks concerning the nature…

An overview is provided of a 5-year project conducted by the Early Intervention Research Institute (EIRI) which focused on the effects and costs of early intervention for young handicapped children. The bulk of the document consists of research reports of 14 investigations: (1) meta-analysis of the early intervention efficacy literature; (2)…

The report to Congress by the Interagency Committee on Learning Disabilities, required by the Health Research Extension Act of 1985, Public Law 99-158, provides a review and assessment of Federal research priorities, activities, and findings regarding learning disabilities. Included in the report is information on (1) the number of persons…

Each spring the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS) battery is administered to students throughout New Mexico as part of the State Department of Education mandated assessment program. This report contains information regarding 1987 test results for Albuquerque Public School (APS) students in grades 3, 5, and 8 on the CTBS, a standardized,…

Results of a study of the efficacy of foreign language instruction at the elementary school level are presented. The study provides new information permitting comparison of three program types--Foreign Language in the Elementary School (FLES), partial immersion, and immersion--currently used in schools in the United States. The results are based…

Based on the assertion that language and culture study are best brought together when the teacher is effective in the affective as well as cognitive and skills domains, teaching strategies and activities are presented that combine specific teaching techniques and ideas with other human and cultural resources in and out of the classroom. Chapters…