Reverse mainstreaming (integrating sighted children into a special class) can be an effective approach with visually impaired elementary students, both in terms of academic benefits (such as increased individualized instruction for sighted students) and social benefits (including a greater understanding of blindness). (CL)

Considers the potential detrimental effects on classroom teaching of programs that pull individual students out of the classroom for specialized instruction or activities. Suggests alternative means for meeting student and teacher needs within the classroom. (PGD)

Examples of pull-out programs for gifted children (in which students are removed to a special setting for a portion of the school week) are reviewed and reactions of teachers and administrators are cited regarding the model's strengths and weaknesses. Views on the model of six authorities are presented. (CL)

Suggests techniques for planning and administering gifted programs, identifying gifted students, and gaining program acceptance. (JM)

College for Kids is a Pennsylvania program which consists of a consortium of six colleges which offer special six-week classes for gifted children from 5 to 15 years of age. (DB)

Twenty-one steps to aid in curriculum development are outlined, including reading or rereading assessment reports developed by teachers or other professionals; knowing the home, school, and community music resources; and determining and teaching prerequisite skills. Journal availability: National Association for Music Therapy, Inc., P O. Box 610,…

A "Father's Day" was created to promote fathers' participation in a preschool class for physically handicapped and developmentally delayed children. Planning and actual implementation are described along with suggestions for making the day a success. (CL)

Focusing on common misconceptions about children who have trouble learning to read, two papers discuss new ways to think about and teach these students. "Revaluing Readers and Reading," by Kenneth S. Goodman, argues that troubled readers should not be thought of as sufferers from an illness, but as strong, healthy individuals fully…

An end-of-school-year dance program was prepared and performed by a preschool class of 11 deaf children. A variety of learning activities across the curriculum were part of the experience. (DB)

Timeout use was found to be low to moderate for the majority of 88 severely behaviorally disordered students in an elementary school self-contained program. Little evidence was found of a relationship between timeout use and academic achievement. In contrast, measures of school absence, in particular truancy, were correlated with poor academic…

The purposes of elementary school career education for mildly handicapped students, and specific learning activities and materials, are discussed. Elementary level career education components are identified as the development of social skills, self-understanding, communication and computation abilities, and the exploration of a variety of careers.…

The article examines several issues regarding the education of gifted and talented students, by answering letters sent in by readers of the journal. Issues examined include private v public schools, teacher resentment of gifted children, coping with being "different," special classes, and enrichment programs. (DLS)

Analysis of essays comparing experiences in gifted and regular classes written by sixth grade gifted students found that many students felt teachers and peers outside the gifted class had unfair expectations of them. Other topics addressed by students included grading, group work, lack of acknowledgement for effort, treatment by peers, and teacher…

The study explored teacher attitudes towards gifted programming and the gifted label, and determined whether teacher attitudes changed after being involved with an elementary school gifted program. Twenty-nine elementary classroom teachers in Jefferson County, Colorado, were surveyed as their school was beginning to host a full-time,…

Based on a study of the differences between the way regular and special education teachers handle classroom transitions, this discussion suggests seven steps special education teachers should take to aid students in classroom transitions. A list of 24 different transition cues is included. (JC)