Notes interest in recent years in using a particular type of children's literature, the predictable book, as a springboard for stimulating language experiences. Suggests that, although this practice has merits, teachers should avoid engineering literacy tasks to the point where most of the work is done for the student. (NH)

Based on the idea that journal writing can help students discover gaps in their knowledge and explore relationships by allowing them to reflect on what they have learned, a study examined the usefulness of expressive journal writing in a first grade mathematics program. Subjects, members of a first grade classroom involved in a…

Presents a study in which first grade students wrote about what they had learned or discovered at their math learning center. Suggests that students who learn actively by writing in a journal acquire ownership of the information, and that reflecting on information is more effective than transcribing and reciting. (JC)