Describes features of a second generation computer simulation offering teacher education students realistic experience in maintaining verbal dialog during spelling lessons with computer-defined pupils. Features discussed include lesson content, behavioral sensitivity, cueing during training, and post-lesson debriefing. User evaluations of the…

Intended to provide a framework and impetus for future investigations of video games, this paper summarizes activities investigating the instructional use of such games, observations by the authors, and a proposed classification scheme and a paradigm to assist in the preliminary selection of instructional video games. Nine references are listed.…

Addressing major themes of the commission's "Open Letter to the American People," this article discusses reading and writing skills development, and the cognitive skills involved in these processes. An effective teaching method, the Language Experience Approach based on aural/oral language with reading and writing combined, is detailed. (MBR)

This book represents the second of two volumes that is designed to update readers on some of the more recent developments in the field of dual diagnosis, as applied to those with intellectual disabilities. While the last few decades have boasted newer and better advances in the field, particularly in terms of assessment devices and treatment…

The move to a more integrated setting for preschool classrooms has become a primary choice in the education of young children. The current research suggests that inclusion at the preschool level has a social impact on the behaviors of young children. Studies examining child play preference and attitudes towards children with disabilities have…

The work of Harold E. Palmer, the individual responsible for consolidating the ideas of the nineteenth-century reform movement into what became known as the Direct Method of second language teaching, is examined. The ideas began with Palmer's conviction that language should be taught by an aural-oral methodology, and he developed teaching…

This book shows how to use readily accessible computer technology to engage hard-to-reach children, including those with attention deficit disorder, autism, aspergers, and developmental delays. The authors demonstrate that the computer's ability to combine motion, sound, color, text, and physical activity makes it a cutting-edge approach. The…

This paper discusses preliminary results of a project investigating the phenomenon of mastery motivation with three significant groups: provider, family, and extremely premature infant. Three focus groups to determine the state of early intervention's knowledge and utilization of mastery motivation were conducted in three states. A repeated…

This report discusses the results of the College Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP) at the College of DuPage (Illinois). The CAAP is a national exam that assesses general learning in six areas: critical thinking, science reasoning, writing skills, essay writing, reading, and mathematics. Based on data from a total of 3,322 students tested…

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how general problem-based learning (PBL) models and social-constructivist perspectives are applied to the design and development of a Web-based science program, which emphasizes inquiry-based learning for fifth grade students. The paper also deals with the general features and learning process of a Web-based…

This paper addresses the issue of developmental education in the community college. Across the country, states are increasingly discouraging four-year institutions from offering remedial education. The City University of New York and the California State University system are phasing out remedial instruction. In the 1999-2000 academic year, public…

In this issue of Forum Focus, we focus on what researchers and policy makers are doing to help governments take stock of their efforts to make sure that every young person is "Ready by 21"--ready for work, ready for college, ready for life. "Research Update" reviews efforts to establish a coherent set of youth development…

Research shows that many things affect how well preschool children perform in school, including meeting their physical needs with a healthy diet, exercise and good medical care. Young children also need social and emotional help that will build their confidence, independence and cooperation skills. This booklet highlights needs of babies, toddlers…

This book is a hands-on activity resource for kindergarten and first grade that makes phonics instruction easy and fun for teachers and children in the classroom. The book offers methods for practice, reinforcement, and assessment of phonetic skills using a poem as a foundation for teaching short vowels. The poem is duplicated so children can work…

Intended for teachers of kindergarten and first grade, this book offers hands-on activities that make phonics instruction easy and fun for teachers and children in the classroom. The book provides methods for practice, reinforcement, and assessment of phonics skills. A poem is used to introduce the phonics element of this book, rhyming words. The…