Presents a list of books designed to stimulate thought and lively discussion on feelings and emotions that concern children most. The article offers suggestions on how teachers should use the books in class. (SM)

Presents hands-on activities to help teach elementary students map skills during Geography Awareness Week. The map skills are made fun by being incorporated into meaningful activities like learning about global resources, tracking the progress of sports teams, and conducting climate experiments in faraway places. (SM)

Describes how to use authentic documents and artifacts to make history and literature come to life, describing a fourth grade study of the Pilgrims that involves using an excerpt from a 1622 journal, "Mourt's Relation," published 2 years after the Mayflower sailed. Students translate the excerpt into modern English, then illustrate a…

The winners of the 2005 State Teachers of the Year recently talked about their views on closing the achievement gap, the state of the profession, and what "really" works in the classroom. This article presents the views of these teachers namely Heidi Louise Capraro, Stanley Murphy, Vicki Lynn Goldsmith, Karen Heath, Kimberly Babeu, Jason Kampras,…

There was a time when the chalkboard was revolutionary. Before it came along, teachers would walk from student to student, drawing problems on individual slates. Now interactive whiteboards promise to reinvent instruction again. Many teachers are now discovering the benefits of using whiteboards. This article presents several strategies on how…

This article discusses the favoritism among teachers. According to Adele Brodkin, a child psychologist, few teachers are above favoritism and this shows that teachers are just human. She advises teachers to acknowledge that they do have favorites and make sure not to treat favorites in any special way. In this article, the author presents…

When you think ADHD, do you think boy? You're not alone. Boys are three times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD, even though they're no more likely to have it. Too many young girls are not getting the help they need. That's why teachers are so important. When it comes to learning disabilities, teachers are right there on the front line.…

Spelling is the study of word-specific knowledge, and knowledge about words is important. Today, many fourth through eighth graders can't write with fluency because they don't have automatic access to basic words and spelling patterns. Yet, sadly, many teachers have had little support in this area. Luckily, evidence-based spelling instruction is…

Discussed a 1974 research study in which student achievement in two different school environments was measured to see how it affected the development of creativity. (RK)

Eleven teaching aids designed to help primary students master basic mathematics concepts. (CM)

The inventor's secret is a simple one--he sees applications for known materials that have occurred to no one else. Here are some suggestions for applying this secret to the elementary science program and thereby boosting motivation and creativeness in your students. (Author/RK)

A collection of brief essays on ways teachers can use commercial television to stimulate reading, science, math, social studies and language arts curriculum. (SB)

Lists ten ways teachers can help the hearing impaired child in a normal classroom, and describes activities to help normal hearing students accept and cope with a peer whose hearing is impaired. (SB)

Maintaining a high "synergy" classroom, when the total effect of the people in an environment seems to be greater than the sum of the effort of the individuals, requires a commitment to a cooperative learning environment and hard work. Here are some learning activities designed to provide students with "synergy" all year long. (Author/RK)

Outdoor learning activities often cause problems in class control. Organizing children into game-playing activities that emphasize ecological and biological themes helps reinforce learning with play. Several activities are described. (DF)