Suggests how social studies teachers can critically choose methods that allow for differences in students' learning styles and abilities and select ways to help students become part of the evaluation process. Includes a chart of nine different techniques which outlines advantages and considerations. (MJP)

Investigates factors influencing Japanese university students' expository writing in English. Quantitative analysis revealed that students' second-language (L2) proficiency, first-language writing ability, and metaknowledge were significant in explaining L2 writing ability variance. An explanatory model for writing ability in English as a Foreign…

According to newly released Third International Mathematics and Science Study data, American children may score low on international comparisons because teachers are trying to teach them too many topics. Surprisingly, Florida's minimum competency testing program has not increased low-achievers' dropout rate. A recent "American…

Using a multiple-choice test and a story frame test, this study measured the effect on reading comprehension of reading a story aloud to English-as-a-Second-Language students. Findings indicate that these students outperformed on both tests those students who read the story silently. (Six references) (Author/CK)

Reviews aspects of our cultural environment that have changed over the past half century and that may significantly affect children's intellectual development. Positive influences include increased student and parental education attainment, decreased family size, increased family resources, and shifts in parenting style. One negative factor is…

A study of Israeli university engineering students (n=85) and education students (n=87) measured their motivated learning strategies and assessment preferences. Results showed individual differences in assessment preferences overshadowed discipline group differences, and assessment preference differences were largely related to learning strategies…

Discusses the format of a semester course and provides details about grading, formative assessment, research papers, lecture activities, cooperative examinations, use of spreadsheets, and open-ended laboratory projects. Contains 15 references. (DDR)

This study assessed the predictive validity of the Urban Teacher Selection Interview (UTSI) for 68 traditional, alternative licensure, and professional development school placement teacher candidates. The UTSI attempts to predict students who will become successful teachers. Results identified only a limited number of significant predictors while…

Explores the role of sonority in constraining the word identification errors of normal listeners by examining the phonological relationships between response errors and stimulus targets. Findings indicate that sonority and lexical phonostatistics may constrain coda-driven word-search processes. (35 references) (Author/CK)

Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) results in third- and fourth-grade reading and writing, 1999-2001, were compared for Latinos taking the English or Spanish CSAP and all Colorado students. Latino students had equivalent or higher scores on the Spanish CSAP compared to the English CSAP, but had lower scores than all students, regardless of…

Examines evidence offered to support the idea of a sensitive period for second language acquisition. Findings indicate that there is insufficient evidence to accept the claim that mastery of a second language is determined wholly, or even primarily, by maturational factors. (34 references) (Author/CK)

Describes a grant-funded project that used technology to adapt the same instructional materials for 240 fourth-grade students by using captioned video scripts at different reading levels to provide individualization. A multiple-choice quiz of comprehension and vocabulary-related questions was developed as an assessment tool. Student reactions…

Examines the results of a nonce-verb test administered to adults and children in five hispanophone communities to determine their control of the inflectional morphology of the Spanish verbal system. Results indicate that adults have less access to natural productive verbal processes than do children. Notes that these results have implications for…

To investigate degree of variation in factor structures produced using different factor analytic techniques, two large data sets were analyzed using four factor analytic approaches (theoretical conventional, theoretical conventional-confirmatory, modified confirmatory, and pure confirmatory). Data sets included third through seventh graders and…

Challenges the assumptions concerning the necessity of feedback in children's cognitive development. Suggests that during a certain and limited phase, cognitive development may occur due to cognitive restructuring. Discusses the implications of this for educational programs, especially computer assisted learning. (MJP)