For today's early childhood educator, change is a non-negotiable reality. While the size, force, and direction of change can often seem overwhelming, this book shows the way toward overcoming these gigantic odds or "Goliaths." "The New Early Childhood Professional" presents some of the heroic experiences and strategic…

How can busy teachers successfully manage the complex task of assessing their students' reading comprehension? This invaluable book--the first stand-alone guide on the topic--presents reliable, research-supported guidelines and procedures for K-6 teachers to use in the classroom. Through practical tips and realistic examples, the book demonstrates…

Photonovels look like comic books but contain photographs instead of drawings. Because photonovels combine pictures and everyday language, adult ESL learners can use them to communicate their thoughts and ideas. Photonovels can also be an aid in learning spoken and written English. This article describes a photonovel project that one of the…

Project-Based Learning (PBL) connects standards-based content to real-world scenarios through the use of projects to improve student achievement. By engaging students in authentic problems that do not have a predetermined solution, students learn both subject matter and critical 21st-century skills. This "Focus On" addresses what…

Most of this early childhood unit on toys provides suggestions for toy-making activities in the areas of art, games, music, science, math, creative dramatics, language arts, social studies, cooking and bulletin boards. It also suggests resources (such as field trips and persons with special knowledge of toys). Special emphasis is placed on…

Discusses metacognition as an important component of a set of essential survival skills for the future. Indicates ways to promote general awareness of metacognitive activity, facilitate conscious monitoring of comprehension, and encourage a deliberate and systematic approach to learning and problem solving. (RH)

The goals and history of the Mathematical Olympiads for Elementary Schools are described. Teams, levels, and gender are discussed, as well as teacher training, administration, scoring, and awards. Sample problems are included. (MNS)

Discusses the need for elementary students to evaluate their own information problem-solving styles. Presents self-evaluation techniques to be used before, during, and after the information problem-solving process. Offers a list of self-evaluation questions, guidelines for designing self-evaluation instruments, and an example questionnaire. (JMV)

Six bonuses that students and teachers experience when using calculators are described. Then problem solving and creative problem-making are discussed, followed by practical suggestions for teachers who want to try calculators. Advice on personalizing the use of calculators and recognizing some of their limitations is also included. (MNS)

Increased interest in mathematical problem solving and in the development of problem-solving ability have demanded that mathematics educators give greater attention to problem-solving instruction. A four-step model for solving problems is followed by sets of suggestions for instructional use. (MP)

Argues that games with a simple communication structure and/or an abstract content have more virtues than games which introduce too many details into the roles and scenario. Four such "simple" games are described, one in detail, and four references are listed. (LLS)

Presents four guidelines for teaching quantitative problem-solving based on research results: analyze difficulties of students, develop a system of heuristics, select and map key relations, and design instruction with proper orientation, exercise, and feedback. Discusses the four guidelines and uses flow charts and diagrams to show how the…

This users' manual, intended for use with a Project Head Start teacher training notebook, describes the purpose, development and field testing of the training materials and suggests procedures for using the notebook as a resource in teacher training sessions. The training notebook to which the users' manual refers is based on 11 questions in the…

Presents guidelines for helping students produce effective multimedia presentations. Topics include modeling presentations from other successful examples; evaluation criteria; solving relevant, real-life problems; purpose statements; identifying the intended audience; preparing storyboards; the use of multimedia resources; interactivity; student…

This publication should help educators provide a mathematics program that emphasizes productive time on task and active involvement of students in mathematics activities. The focus on problem solving is stressed. Time allotments are stated, followed by descriptions of essential elements for kindergarten through grade 8: understanding numbers and…