Presents a study in which ten teachers from England were observed teaching literacy skills to primary age children to determine if they were teaching in a manner that provided for class discussion. Finds that teacher-led question and answer sessions were the most frequently used form of interaction. (DAJ)

Presents a study in which student teachers were observed before and after implementing the National Literacy Strategy to determine the impact prescriptive curricula has on teacher development. Finds that teachers focused on checking off the curriculum objectives, but did not provide a framework to show how the components related to one another.…

Assesses the compliance-resisting strategies children use when rejecting pressure to smoke. Finds that strategies vary with conditions such as relationship, number of people present, amount of pressure, and risk for future smoking. Suggests that researchers consider situational variations and risk status for future smoking when developing…

In a two-part experiment, a severely learning-disabled youth was treated for lack of reading and math skills using token reinforcers for correct responses. The subject reached a 90 percent correct response rate following implementation of experimental design. Part two produced a 100 percent achievement level for the most difficult math items.…

Investigated effects of 3 routine classroom arithmetic and reading tasks upon the heart rate reactivity of 30 fifth grade children. Results indicated that some children showed large increases in heart rates during the three tasks, and that these children should be considered at risk for coronary heart disease. (Author/TE)

Studies efficacy of Family Effectiveness Training (FET), a prevention and intervention model used with Hispanic families of preadolescents at risk of drug abuse. Studies 79 Hispanic families assigned to FET or control group. FET families showed greater improvement in structural family functioning, reported problem behaviors, and child…

Investigates the effect of parental separation on the divergent thinking abilities and creativity potential of 116 single- and two-parent family children in grades three through five. Findings indicate a comparable level of divergent thinking between both groups; single-parent children scored significantly higher on creativity potential.…

Describes study of 9- to 11-year-olds conducted in Great Britain that was designed to analyze the means by which elementary school children familiarized themselves with a large database. Types of error and frequency of occurrence are examined, query formulation is discussed, and the importance of keyboard skills is addressed. (nine references)…

Draws attention to the potentially harmful effects of evaluating children's friendships on what are often negative outcomes, rather than on the efforts that children make to effectively negotiate their friendships. Describes a study of children's friendships in a fifth-grade, culturally diverse class in a large urban elementary school, revealing…

Describes the activities of KIDLINK, an international electronic conferencing system that was developed to establish communication between children 10 to 15 years old around the world using the Internet and other computer networks. A list of local KIDLINK contacts in 29 countries is included. (LRW)

Systematically explored how three different initial training contexts affect children's and adults' interpretation of novel action verbs. Subjects included 54 3-yearolds, 60 10-year olds, and 60 college-age adults. Findings suggest a hierarchy of verb learning strategies, especially among the youngest children. (DR)

Studied effects of expert knowledge and metacognitive knowledge on strategy acquisition. Boys who were poor readers and baseball experts were trained in reading strategy using baseball or nonbaseball stories. Found that boys trained using baseball stories demonstrated greater strategy use; boys with higher metacognition demonstrated better…

The Growing Up FAST program involves working with adolescents and their parents and includes rites of passage, multicultural issues, and a solution-focused perspective. Discusses the program's development and theoretical background, as well as its specific goals, current valuative efforts, and implementation strategies. (RJM)

Explores the type and seriousness of concerns reported by Turkish adolescents (n=957) and compares these concerns with self-reported psychological distress. Concerns were grouped into five clusters: (1) personal future; (2) interpersonal relations; (3) local-universal issues; (4) social identity; and (5) use of drugs. Cultural differences were…

Discusses a model of television interpretation processes regarding the influences of alcohol advertising and describes a study that tested the model with preadolescent at-risk students. Highlights include perceptions of alcohol use at home and on television; social norms; perceived realism of commercials; and intent to drink. (41 references) (LRW)