A research project investigated the effectiveness of the use of a tape recorder and taped lessons with accompanying worksheets for independent work activities in the 1st grade. An experimental group heard lessons on reading readiness, auditory perception, phonics, and reading skills, in addition to having regular instruction from the teacher. The…

Briefly examines fine arts curricula in public schools with relation to Mortimer Adler's Paideia Proposal, whose basic premise is that America has a democratic promise to fulfill--not only that all should be educated, but that all ought to receive the same education. Summaries of the proposal's chapters are presented. (MH)

This report reviews a theoretically inspired empirical investigation of individual differences in knowledge, abilities, and nonability traits as part of an ongoing effort to better understand adult intellectual development and to develop more accurate measures of adult intelligence. Twenty Knowledge Scales were constructed, drawing on…

Examines the relationships of individual difference variables to end-of-training proficiency ratings in speaking and reading for a large sample of adults in intensive training in a wide range of languages at the U.S. Department of State. Variables included tested cognitive aptitude, learning strategies, learning styles, personality, motivation and…

Contrasted role of ethnic labels and identity in predicting drug use among seventh graders. Found that minority students with strong ethnic pride reported less drug use/exposure than those with weak pride; ethnically proud White students reported more. Minority students who viewed themselves as consistent with their ethnic group reported more drug…

Describes as advances of the Hauser-Cram et al. study increasing basic information about children with disabilities and their families, showing a combined organismic-contextual developmental perspective, and operationalizing tenets of developmental psychopathology. Considers as limitations: the role of etiology, the need to reconceptualize…

Many learners, especially those in a foreign-language setting, draw on the classroom as their primary forum for using and experiencing the target language, still for the most part during teacher-led instruction. Nevertheless, communicative language teaching does not provide a decisive definition of "good language use." Teachers usually take an…

This article discusses women's body image resilience. Body image dissatisfaction is prevalent among girls and women. Girls as young as 6 years old experience negative body image, and there is evidence that women struggle with body concerns throughout the life cycle (Lewis & Cachelin, 2001; Smolak, 2002; Striegel-Moore & Franko, 2002). In fact,…

This review covers the psychological literature of the last 30 years regarding the personality and motivational characteristics of individuals with mental retardation. The first section is a brief historical review and critical examination of the various conceptual models and theories regarding personality and motivational processes in persons…

Research reports included in this volume of working papers in linguistics are: "Perception of Consonant Clusters and Variable Gap Time" (Mike Cahill); "Near-Merger in Russian Palatalization" (Erin Diehm, Keith Johnson); "Breadth of Focus, Modality, and Prominence Perception in Neapolitan Italian" (Mariapaola…

This module is designed for use in the Family Living and Parenthood course and other home economics courses. Using this guide, teachers can help students review and learn daily living skills. Following acknowledgments, a foreword, and a subcompetency list are three units: (1) building self-esteem; (2) managing stress; and (3) handling peer…

This guide is designed for supervisors and trainers who are helping teachers of young children implement the Creative Curriculum for Early Childhood: a curriculum that is based on child development theory and is developmentally appropriate for preschool and kindergarten children. The guide gives particular emphasis to a carefully organized, rich…

A synthesis of current research, theory, and professional opinion on how children learn to write, this report begins with a brief introduction followed by a discussion of writing readiness that suggests children's eagerness to learn to write. The third chapter examines children's use of writing to extend the functions of speech, drawing, and play,…

Bernhardt (2003) claims that half of the variance in second language (L2) reading is accounted for by first language literacy (20%) and second language knowledge (30%), and that one of the central goals of current L2 reading research should be to investigate the 50% of variance that remains unexplained. Part of this variance takes consists of…

Students drop out of school for a wide variety of reasons. Programs to discourage dropping out must therefore accommodate the actual needs of individual students rather than aim at the assumed needs of the "typical dropout." This document reviews school policies and programs that could affect dropout tendencies positively. Among these…