Focuses on how second language (L2) readers go about decoding word forms. The article describes a psycholinguistic experiment investigating how advanced Finnish speakers of English as a foreign language pronounced monosyllabic pseudo-words based on common real-word orthographic patterns in English. Results indicate that even advanced L2 readers'…

Children ages 3-6 years were interviewed following a scheduled pediatric clinic visit to assess their ability to remember and report incidents of body touch. Follow-up interviews were conducted after one and six months. Results suggest that children actively and accurately process their experiences and that the quality and quantity of their…

Reflects upon Steward and Steward essay on improving understanding of children as witnesses. Focuses in particular on the effect on legal proceedings of a poorly conducted or highly suggestive interview. Suggests that the major problem today is whether a child's account has been contaminated by delays or through interactions with others, and…

Examines the rationale and design of evaluations of interview protocols to be used in sexual abuse cases. Comments on the findings of Steward et al. study, in the contexts of cost-benefit analysis and ecological validity. Discusses the advantages and disadvantages of different techniques, such as enhanced interviews, anatomical dolls,…

Describes a school in Quebec, in which students enrolled in an intensive English-as-a-Second-Language program (ESL) use English in a variety of communicative interactions inside and outside the ESL classroom. Assessment of students' performance indicates that they achieve higher levels of English than comparable students in other intensive ESL…

Discusses an attempt to establish the vocabulary learning strategies used by Chinese university learners of English in Beijing and the relationship between their strategies and outcomes in learning English. Findings reveal that two metacognitive strategies emerged as positive predictors of vocabulary test scores and that visual repetition of new…

Examines the variable realization of the third person singular -s by Shona learners of English in Zimbabwe. Results reveal little morphological variability among elementary learners and a grammatical variability among intermediate learners that is sensitive to linguistic context and indicative of a tendency to inflect verbs to mark the third…

Opponents of teacher testing argue that such examinations prevent otherwise qualified minorities from entering the teaching profession. The article focuses on the California Basic Educational Skills Test, which some say is an IQ test disguised as a cognitive skills test that keeps out large numbers of minority teachers. (SM)

Investigated the development among fourth-graders of two-dimensional space concepts within a mathematics unit on grids, coordinates, and rectangles. Found that students' knowledge of grid and coordinate systems related to levels of competence in number sense, spatial-geometric relationships, and the ability to discriminate and integrate the two…

This study examined effects of frequent quizzes on dental student performance in a course on introductory radiology. Results indicated the group (N=36) with frequent quizzes performed significantly better than the control group (n=35) on midterm and final examinations (but not post-tests), and assessed course content and instructor more…

Examines connections between diversity and disability in special education, noting increasing tendencies to locate special education under the umbrella of diversity. The paper maintains that the assumptions underlying disability are dramatically different from those supporting diversity and suggests that special educators transform their…

Discusses benefits of using laser disc technology in the elementary school classroom including increased student enthusiasm and subject relevance, efficient test preparation, and comprehensible materials for English-challenged students. Notes the importance of researching available resources and easing into use when integrating technology into the…

Investigated the relationship between Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire scores and kinesthetic acuity--the sense of body position and movement--among 10- and 14-year-olds. Found that in the older group, those with high levels of visual movement imagery performed better on measures of kinesthetic acuity; no such effect was found for…

During the 1930s, middle-class Scottish children almost always attended college preparatory secondary schools, whether by academic ability, payment of fees, or parent assertiveness. This class-biased system of selection had few critics because it favored the more articulate members of society. Opposition to the selection system was due more to…

Thirty-five staff members' views on developmental assessment in a multicultural early childhood setting are described and used to initiate a critique of current practice in assessment of young children. Staff expressed a range of opinions from endorsement to frank rejection of the utility, validity, and ethics of developmental assessment.…