The purpose of this article is to describe the learnings of primary school teachers in rural Guatemala as a result of an action research experience. This experience took place in the context of the "Basic Education Quality and Transitions" activity, or BEQT, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and…

By now, we are all aware of the effect of super-sized food portions. Very young children regulate their food intake by internal cues (when they feel full) rather than by portion size. As children age, external cues have more influence than internal cues. Hence, larger portion sizes promote more energy intake in older children, leading to caloric…

In this article, the author describes a series of lessons that focuses on observation and documentation of organisms and that is appropriate for the second through fourth grades. By giving students the necessary initial support, they will have the ability to observe details and the skills and confidence to make realistic scientific drawings and…

NASPE recommends children ages 5-12 accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day of the week. With the growing occurrence of obesity in the United States, it is clear that too many of America's youth are not meeting the recommended amount of daily physical activity. Given that America's youth are having…

Describes a second-grade classroom activity in which children took photographs of their school while focusing on common themes generated by their teacher. Includes discussion of materials and costs for the activity, children's expectations, parental help, class sessions involved (instructions, taking pictures, developing photographs, sharing…

Describes the letter-writing activities of a second-grade class in central Michigan and the resulting motivating effects on children's developing writing skills. (SS)

Describes a Hawaiian language immersion program classroom (a second- and third-grade combination classroom) that acknowledges both the language and culture of students while supporting the development of a culturally grounded community of learners. Notes historical information, discusses ownership and authenticity, and describes aspects of…

Describes how the primary goal of the Parent Program was to constructively involve parents in their children's learning process. Notes how it gives them specific ideas and methods to assist their children in literacy acquisition. Hopes that the program will get materials in the homes that students might need while doing homework and get more…

Presents the results of small group counseling sessions designed to improve racial relationships and cultural awareness among second-grade students. Discusses methods, goals, evaluation techniques, and outcome results. Survey results and counselors' perceptions pointed to changes in students' racial attitudes. An appendix lists specific group…

An overview of a program to overcome the lack of activity and relevancy in the elementary school by providing elementary students with hands-on science experiments that they can complete at home is given. Activities for second- and third-grade students are described and results are discussed. (CW)

This pamphlet describes a year-long project that began with the idea of inviting eighth graders to study the thoughts of second graders as shared during literature discussions. It then evolved into a more elaborate project bolstered by the students' enthusiasm and interest in each other. The pamphlet describes the students, establishment of the…

A reading program was developed to motivate 20 second grade children identified as capable, confident readers but who would not read on their own. An interest inventory, a free response interview, and direct observation revealed that the students were in literate school and home environments, but few chose to read independently. A 10-week…

A Spanish immersion program involving 11 first graders and 16 second graders is described; and the testing, progress, parent attitudes, and changes made in the program's first two years are discussed. Students' grade-equivalent scores in reading, mathematics, and language are compared with those of one other school and the district. (MSE)

Describes how a second grade teacher implemented a small-group, support-reading strategy with low-achieving readers. Describes (1) characteristics of the innercity classroom; (2) explanation of how the instructional strategy was introduced and implemented over time; (3) evidence of the intervention's success; and (4) comments on the…

When Creative Problem Solving (CPS) was introduced into social studies programs, the students' participation in the classrooms began to change. They began to assume leadership roles and take on a sense of responsibility; they asked questions and worked cooperatively to decide on social action. In this article, the authors argue that CPS has the…