Effective teaching requires skill in implementing challenging and inviting curricular activities. It also involves evaluating children's learning in order to extend their development through the school year. Being able to implement and evaluate at the same time is at the heart of good teaching. Written for PreK-3 educators, this book blends…

A longitudinal investigation determined the growth of reading comprehension from third to fifth grades in a cohort of students who received Language Enrichment (LE), an Orton-Gillingham-based literacy program, during first and second grades. The LE instruction was provided by regular education teachers who received comprehensive training in…

Preservice teachers often enter English language arts teacher preparation courses with untapped fears of writing and teaching writing due to null or bad experiences as K-12 students. In this article, I follow two preservice elementary teachers through a semester long methods course and reveal how they developed positive, clear images of themselves…

This report is the nation's sixth look at how its major city school systems are performing on the state assessments devised to boost standards, measure progress, provide opportunity, and ensure accountability for results. Data are presented on 66 city school systems from 38 states and the District of Columbia. The statistics are presented…

Kaleidoscope is an innovative approach to an arts-based early childhood program, combining visual arts, music, dance and language arts. The program's principal goal is to promote the learning and development of low-income, inner-city children who are attending preschool and kindergarten. Kaleidoscope's three objectives are: (1) to provide children…

This resource book, compiled by the Society for Developmental Education (SDE), focuses on the child-centered classroom, providing articles and suggestions for strengthening child-centered education. The seven sections of the book are as follows: (1) "For Discussion," including debates on class size and inclusion; (2) "Readiness/Kindergarten,"…

The 13 essays in this book examine the theory of constructivism in relation to teaching and learning. The first section provides an account of the epistemological, psychological, and sociocultural research that serves as the theoretical basis of constructivism, and includes the following chapters: "Introduction: Aspects of Constructivism" (Ernst…

Intended to help children sustain gains made in school, this manual consists of simple learning activities that parents can use to engage children ranging from second grade through middle school/junior high school. The description of each activity outlines the purpose for the activity, the materials needed, the duration of the activity, how it is…

The Edison Project, in concert with its public school partners, produces curriculum materials and standards for its six "academies," or educational levels. This book sets forth standards describing the knowledge and skills students will have in each curriculum area when they complete the Elementary Academy (for children in grades 3…

Suggesting that teachers must develop a philosophy of language arts instruction to guide their teaching, this book provides teachers in language arts or combined language arts and reading courses with the knowledge base and practical ideas they need to plan and implement a literature-based language arts program in which children are actively…

The Missouri Mastery and Achievement Tests (MMAT) were developed as a result of the Excellence in Education Act of 1985, which required the state department of education to identify core competencies and key skills in reading/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies/civics and to test a sample of students annually. State-level data…

Two studies illustrate the concern that the connection between teachers' beliefs and their instructional practices can be a troublesome one if beliefs are informed by formalist thinking related to truth and caring in the teaching conversation. Subjects, 21 middle school language arts teachers and 216 eighth-grade students were asked what they…

Intended for teachers working to improve social skills for young children K-3 who are moving from the self-centered period of early childhood into the other-centered world of the classroom, this book presents a curriculum of social skills, a teaching methodology, and specific lessons drawn from the experience of classroom teachers. The book is…

This food production, management, and services curriculum guide provides information needed by teachers. It begins with a list of the competencies and subcompetencies that are the essential elements and the sub-elements prescribed in the Texas Administrative Codes for Vocational Home Economics. Each chapter consists of teaching strategies. They…

The Neglected or Delinquent Program (N or D) of the Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools is designed to provide classrooms and tutorial services in language development for students served in facilities eligible for Chapter 1 aid for the neglected or delinquent. In the 1990-91 school year, one full-time N or D teacher and 12 part-time tutors served 153…