Strengths and weaknesses of three approaches to the study of the input requirements of second language learners are described. The data-oriented, the language-model, and the processing-model approaches are then compared with respect to their claims concerning the metalinguistic needs of the learner. (Author/CB)

Describes an attempt to teach electronics to disadvantaged high school students in Israel through an instructional method based on guided individual learning combined with laboratory experiments. Discusses the successes of the program in terms of academic achievement, self-learning competencies, laboratory skills, and attitudes. (ML)

A study examining the performance of college freshmen trained in thinking skills and the relationship of this training to scores on an intelligence scale indicates that groups taught divergent thinking skills scored significantly higher in a comprehension subtest than did groups taught convergent thinking skills or the control group. (Author/CB)

Seventy-four introductory psychology students were subjects in a study evaluating the impact of cooperative interactions during studying and test taking. Results indicated that cooperative study training affects performance favorably. Cooperative test-taking training also affected recall performance favorably, for the amount of information…

Verbalization helps children to develop self-regulated learning of cognitive skills. It can improve children's attention to task-relevant features and can enhance coding, storage, and retention of materials. As a systematic approach for improving learning, it can raise self-efficacy. (JAZ)

Argues that in the study of literature, the authority of the text is confounded by the authority of the teacher. Suggests that more effective learning takes place when the authority of both text and teacher is set aside. (FL)

Provides only slender support for the idea that there are age-related or ability-related differences in the revisions made by fifth-, seventh-, and eleventh-grade writers. (FL)

Describes a program used in three Texas schools in which kindergarten children spend a part of each day writing. (FL)

Younger children often have problems playing baseball using adult rules because pitchers lack ability to throw consistently and batters have trouble hitting erratically thrown balls. A modification of adult rules allowed the team coach to pitch to batters. More offensive and defensive activity occurred in the nontraditional games than in…

The effect of teaching stress management techniques to elementary school children to enhance time-on-task behavior was studied. Results are discussed. (Author/DF)

An elementary school teacher developed renewed interest in both teaching and learning after enrolling in an American Heart Association workshop. This article discusses how a science unit on the heart was taught in a creative and interesting way to fourth-grade students. (DF)

These studies with sixth and fourth graders compared effects of different learning conditions on student relationships. Results indicated that intergroup cooperation promoted more positive cross-sex and cross-ethnic relationships than did intergroup competition. Relationships formed within cooperative learning situations did generalize into…

Suggests that since great deal of memorizing takes place in libraries, librarians are in good position to study question of which strategies are most effective in processing which media, and perhaps, to contribute to what little is known about effectiveness of individual memory strategies during the transfer process. (34 references) (EJS)

Explains an algorithm which details procedures for solving a broad class of genetics problems common to pre-college biology. Several flow charts (developed from the algorithm) are given with sample questions and suggestions for student use. Conclusions are based on the authors' research (which includes student interviews and textbook analyses).…

Reports on two experiments that investigated sex differences in the use of organization strategies in free recall with categorizable and unrelated word lists across age in elementary school. Shows sex differences were pronounced across the ages tested and consistent with principles of strategy development, with males showing a developmental lag in…