The personalized system of instruction (PSI) is characterized by mastery, specified objectives, self-pacing, small-step sequenced materials, repeated testing, immediate feedback, credit for success rather than penalty for errors, proctors, and lectures for motivation. Research indicating the effectiveness of PSI is cited, and problems with…

Suggests ways that the classroom teacher can convey to students through learning experiences their role as readers. (RS)

Considers how the history of rhetoric is taught currently and has been taught in the past. Provides data from surveys of historians in rhetoric and composition concerning their methods. Describes how the history of rhetoric is taught at the University of Arizona. Shows how rhetoric can be taught as a social praxis. (HB)

Provides educators with a problem-solving process that can be used in K-12 classrooms. Defines, in particular, a solution-focused problem-solving strategy that emphasizes goal identification and implementation. States that this technique helps make positive behavioral changes in students' lives by focusing on future solutions instead of past…

A study examined whether it was possible to teach five children (ages 5-6) with autism to use symbolic pretend play. The intervention used structure, affect, and repetition and progressively faded out the structuring over three phases. All of the children were able to use some symbolic acts within play. (Contains references.) (CR)

This study examined the effectiveness of a phonological awareness reading intervention with seven first-graders at risk for conduct and attention problems. Findings support the efficacy of the program but suggest the intervention may not have been of sufficient intensity and duration to produce lasting changes and produce beginning reading skill…

We evaluated an enriched teaching program for reducing resistance and indices of unhappiness displayed by 3 individuals with profound multiple disabilities during teaching sessions. The program involved presentation of preferred activities before, during, and after each teaching session, discontinuation of identified nonpreferred activities, and a…

There is much current interest in the identification of effective programmes for raising literacy standards. However, the effectiveness of such programmes might vary greatly according to implementation integrity and the preferred teaching styles or behaviours of teachers. This research explored whether highly effective teachers of literacy used…

In contemporary science education, the trend is to engage students in hands-on activities in which they must manipulate equipment and gather data in an effort to answer questions. Hands-on experiences may turn out to be meaningless unless the experiences are well designed, planned, and focused so that students are guided to construct accurate…

Essentially, communication style flows naturally from personality, just like behavior style and teaching/learning style. One can break down personality distinctions into four significant patterns or groups: commanders, cheerleaders, caregivers, and contemplators. In this article, the author describes each of these groups and discusses how to…

Substance abuse counseling students must become familiar with an overview of the issues involved in counseling. A clear format is needed to present the overview. Unfortunately, there are a limited number of models addressing the unique aspects of substance abuse counseling. However, the Integrated Developmental Model (IDM) developed by…

Both No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act require educators to use research-validated practices in classrooms. And yet education, special education, and the field of emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) continue to show large gaps in the consistent use of best practices. The authors propose that the…

Research shows that students of color have college experiences markedly different from their majority peers. The present study examined African American college students' perceptions of their college classrooms as communities. Results of open-ended surveys revealed four predominate themes of instructional style, faculty interpersonal…

Physical education instructors who teach high school or college walking/jogging/running classes, or who include walking or running as a segment of a wellness class, face a particular challenge in trying to meet each student's individual fitness needs while ensuring safety. This article provides strategies for effectively meeting individual needs…

According to John Thompson, Web 2.0 is here. Having moved away from its roots in a read-only medium, the Internet is now a place where any and all users can create, upload, and transform information. A crucial consideration for Thompson is how this technological transformation will affect the pedagogical practices of institutions of higher…