Argues that sociodramatic play in early childhood education provides children with developmental gains in social, emotional, cognitive, intellectual, language, and creative spheres. Stresses the importance of proper teacher education and practice of classroom sociodramatic play. Summarizes survey of preschool and kindergarten teachers regarding…

Finds that undergraduate student perceptions of caring on the part of their teachers were substantially associated with the students' evaluation of their teachers, their affective learning, and their perceptions of their cognitive learning. Calls for research which helps to identify the specific teacher behaviors which communicate caring to…

Distinguishes between teacher questioning that characterizes students' textual understanding and questioning that actively engages students in the meaning-making process. Contends that there must be a proper balance between the types of questioning in classrooms that support students in their efforts to learn from text as they actively interact…

Investigates whether teacher home visits improved 29 students' attitudes and increased achievement test scores. Although the students in both the control and treatment groups did not appear to learn significantly differently, the qualitative data showed the students and their parents believed parental involvement was important. (Contains 15…

Surveys all 11 teachers in one rural setting to determine complexities surrounding literature use in that school. Finds the basal played a predominant role in classrooms--only the Chapter I teacher used literature during reading. Finds that "textbooks" were important for teachers and that trade books did not figure much in instruction.…

Describes how a teacher used the "hypothesis-test" approach in elementary and junior high classrooms, teaching alone or team teaching, to be proactive about students needs instead of reactive to their disruptions or silence, to help kids who need it before they cry out, and to introduce them to the sweet taste of success before they encounter…

Describes how an elementary school literacy specialist worked with and saw the dilemmas, frustrations, and heartaches of a new student from Puerto Rico. Notes that the literacy specialist learned valuable lessons and gained an appreciation for the need to honor and celebrate, engage and instruct all students from all over the globe. (SR)

Shares some of the author' poignant reflections on her personal experience of introducing critical literacy to a continuing education class in reading and composition. Notes that two things were missing from this class: an equal representation of student voices, and the teacher's identity as a "text" for the classroom dynamic of authority. (SR)

Investigates the extent that English primary science teachers press for casual understanding through their discourse in science lessons. Observed Key Stage 2 lessons (n=50) for students ages seven to eleven and the nature of teachers' discourse. Reports that discourse on facts and description were common, while there were low levels of discourse…

Explores accounts given by male music teachers about practices used with boys and the role of the male music teacher through data collected during two research studies. Reports that male teachers tend to reinforce gender stereotypical behaviors in boys instead of challenging ideas of masculinity. (CMK)

Demographic and perception data were collected from 63 teachers (grades 1-5) to determine the effect of sociocultural variables on teachers' perceptions of classroom behavior, management, and referral tendencies. Teachers' perceptions of a learning disability, educational level, grade level, instructional practices, and prereferral intervention…

Examines the interactions that take place as nine exemplary teachers from New Zealand provide support for struggling writers in ways that inadvertently often turn out to be less effective than they hoped. Discusses four ways to produce unintended outcomes. Illustrates that even for exceptional teachers of writing, conducting effective conferences…

Middle school teachers are more active decision makers than their high school counterparts. However, the kinds of decisions that the two groups make are extremely similar. In contrast, secondary science teachers and elementary teachers make decisions at about the same interval--one decision every two minutes. (JD)

Discusses specific problems (arising in the context of a writing center visit) that writing assignments have caused students. Considers problems in teachers communicating objectives with students, unspecific teacher comments on students' papers, lack of examples for the writing assignment, overemphasis on grammatical correctness, unspecified…

Presents a small sampling of the letters and manuscripts received in response to an earlier article by Karen Jost. Notes that, upon considering all the responses, those supporting Jost's position that writing teachers should not be expected to write outnumber those disagreeing by five to one. (RS)