This practicum sought to combat the problem of decreasing readiness skills and overall general knowledge of entering kindergarten students, by developing and implementing an integrated parent involvement program for regular and special education classes in preschool and kindergarten. The first phase involved parents and children in a home-based…

Karaoke (singing along to music videos) has swept Taiwan with such force that many people go to singing schools to improve their singing. Three cases in this paper demonstrate how the ethos, or credibility, of the singer is a combination of initial and derived ethos. Who the singer is tends to determine how much attention he or she receives…

This collection of 71 lesson plans, which is designed to assist volunteer tutors involved in the Computer-Assisted Literacy in Libraries (CALL) program, contains guidelines and materials to help tutors correlate the words-only textbook "Basic Reading for Adults" by Metra-Summerhays with other reading materials selected by students. One…

An organizational needs assessment (ONA) process was developed to gather information about the basic skills upgrading needs and issues in the Division of Residence Operations of a state university. Forty-four participants from management, union leadership, and all job levels in the university's custodial and maintenance departments participated in…

Focusing on ways in which literature can be used in the integration of reading and writing, this book is meant to help teachers prepare a literature-based classroom that encourages reading and writing. The book contains specific practical ideas and activities for organizing a reading/writing classroom, bibliographies of children's books at the end…

An overview of the skills, techniques, tools, and compensation of language translators and interpreters is offered. It begins with a definition of translation and a brief history of translation in the western world. Basic principles of translation dating back to Roman writers are also outlined. A five-step process in producing a good translation…

Every day, teachers resolve countless conflicts and contradictions. This book deals with the development of informed, problem-solving, decision making skills that will increase the effectiveness of educators. The volume is organized into three sections. The first section explains how schools function as social systems, presents a series of case…

A study was conducted to address the ethical issues inherent in the teaching of test-taking and test-wiseness skills. A survey, consisting of 11 items was developed and given to 62 preservice and 133 inservice teachers. Questions were classified into 3 categories: (1) general test-taking considerations; (2) standardized test-taking procedures; and…

This elementary social studies guide developed by Seminole County Board of Public Instruction, Florida, outlines the social studies program for grades K-5. The course outline for each grade level has been developed around the Florida state minimum performance levels for reading and mathematics and around the state standards of excellence for…

A study investigated how knowledge of a word's meaning, phonology, and orthography influences who will become a poor reader and who will develop adequate skill. Subjects (38 students from a small Ontario, Canada, city) were selected in grade 2 for their poor reading ability and followed until they reached grade 4. Conditions were devised in which…

This study evaluated two social skills interventions designed to increase the peer acceptance of six students (ages 10-12) with learning disabilities in regular classrooms. The students were instructed in two social skills strategies as well as in skills for working in small groups and leading group activities. Two mnemonic devices were used to…

This participant's manual is part of a set of training materials developed to help vocational rehabilitation workers improve their basic helping skills. It contains reading materials to assist trainees in developing a clear concept of the helping model and self-critiquing exercises to help them integrate their new skills into particular work…

A mini-unit introducing seventh grade students to their new school and its surrounding area can be adapted for use in any school. Following a list of learning objectives and evaluation methods, the document provides a short vocabulary lesson and five student activities and worksheets for learning to read school, city, state, and county maps. A…

A cross-disciplinary project at the University of South Alabama has been successful in improving the technical competence of undergraduate writers in all academic fields. For the geography department, this project has involved developing courses which teach writing as part of the thinking process and problem-solving method. While instructors have…

A questionnaire survey of all colleges and universities in the United States, to which 1,269 institutions (45%) responded, yielded findings about the academic preparation of incoming undergraduate students and the ways in which their deficiencies are being remediated. First, 85 percent of the responding institutions perceive poor academic…