The research was conducted in Sydney and Hong Kong using students, from grades 5 to 9, whose first language or teaching medium was English, learning to read Chinese as second language. According to cognitive load theory, the processing of single Chinese characters accompanied by pictures should impose extraneous cognitive load and thus hinders…

The kindergarten year is quite unlike preschool and not like first grade, either. What should teaching practice look like for this critical year? This book offers a vivid picture of kindergarten children, perceptive discussion of the current kindergarten context and policy issues, and clear guidelines for teaching and assessing kindergartners.…

Recent developments have broadened the definition of literacy to multiple literacies--bodies of knowledge, skills, and social practices with which we understand, interpret, and use the symbol systems of our culture. This compilation looks at the various literacies as the application of critical abilities to several domains of importance to adult…

This journal, written in English and Chinese, includes the following papers: "Values for Creativity: A Study among Undergraduates in Hong Kong and Guangzhou" (Xia Dong Yue and Kok Leung); "The Present Situation of Family Education at the Turn of the Century: An Investigation in Three South-Eastern Provinces in China" (Feng…

This book explains the TrainSmart approach to training, which is based on how the authors believe the brain naturally learns best. Part 1 introduces the five pillars of the TrainSmart Model, which are as follows: (1) engage (engage participants' attention); (2) frame (establish a frame of reference); (3) explore (introduce a conceptual activity);…

A study followed for a year or more the internal experiences of learning and change of 41 adult basic education/English as a second language learners enrolled in these 3 programs: community college, family literacy site, and workplace site. It focused on learners' meanings as the starting point for exploration and used a developmental lens to…

The two issues in this volume of the "JALT Journal" contain the following articles: "Comprehension and Production Practice in Grammar Instruction: Does Their Combined Use Facilitate Second Language Acquisition?" (Takeo Tanaka); "Professional Development and the JET Program: Insights and Solutions Based on the Sendai City…

With the growth of standardized assessment benchmarks in both the public and private paradigms, testing performance matters to institutions more than ever. In an attempt to take as many hindering variables out of this process, such as test anxiety, socioeconomic influences, and latency in cognition, Improvisation: A Complement to Curriculum seeks…

Considerable attention has been given recently to how children educate each other and how to maximize the cognitive benefits of peer learning. Based on papers presented at a 1996 symposium on Cognitive Skills and Learning with Peers, this book focuses on peer learning. Part 1 presents implications of Piaget's and Vygotsky's theories. Part 2…

This paper presents a case for the development and support of a computer-based interactive multimedia program for teaching analysis in community college architecture design programs. Analysis in architecture design is an extremely important strategy for the teaching of higher-order thinking skills, which senior schools of architecture look for in…

Contextual learning is rooted in a constructivist approach to teaching and learning. According to constructivist theory, individuals learn by constructing meaning through interacting with and interpreting their environments. Current perspectives on what it means for learning to be contextualized include the following: situated cognition, social…

This book presents an ethnohistorical examination of American Indian thinking and philosophy and strives to explain the complexity of the American Indian mind in its traditional cultural and natural environment and in contrast to the American mainstream linear world. It is argued that Indian thinking is visual; circular; concerned with the…

This notebook discusses issues and methods of developing adult literacy education (ALE) programs according to functional context education (FCE) principles. Chapters 1-3 in Part 1, The Power of ALE, focus on current ALE; address why ALE is of growing importance; show how investments can return benefits for adults and others; look at issues…

The theory of structural cognitive modifiability and mediated learning experience and applied systems derived from it have generated extensive research. This collection of conference papers includes "The Endgame: Doing Educational Reform in the Autumn of its Life" (Madeline Long); "Responsibility and Educational Mediation"…

This publication presents reasons why attention to culture and learning is important in schools. It examines the relationship between culture and learning, and discusses how conflicts between the culture of the home and that of the typical classroom hinder the educational process for many children. It reviews examples of culturally sensitive…