Maintains that the movement toward an integrated elementary school curriculum is growing. Describes the planning, implementation, and evaluation of an instructional unit about the Costa Rican rain forests that integrates foreign language and social studies content. Uses the four goal areas from a National Council for the Social Studies model. (CFR)

Discusses a summer program conducted to retrain North Wales French teachers. It is suggested that French teaching in North Wales will be enriched by the enthusiasm of the teachers who took this course. (three references) (CK)

Reviews sources of indirect evidence supporting the value of graduate training in psychotherapy. Discusses training protocols that are known to enhance trainees' skills and summarizes a meta-analysis of therapy outcome studies involving within-study comparisons of psychotherapists of different levels of training and experience. Other research is…

An interview with Steve Barnett, the recently appointed assistant deputy minister, finance and administration, in the Ministry of Education for British Columbia, focuses on the involvement the Canadian federal government has in public education in Canada. Comments on specific aspects of the Goals 2000 Act and how they relate to Canadian…

Six instructional design principles are recommended to enable students with learning disabilities to comprehend and compose expository materials. The instructional principles are illustrated using the compare/contrast text structure. Charts provide examples and clarification of the strategies. (SW)

A nonwriting third grade student's encounter with writing is described. The approach used with the child's class involved choosing their own topic, writing at an individual pace, working with peers, using illustrations, and participating in conferences with the teacher. Through this approach, the bilingual student realized he could be literate and…

R-WISE (Reading and Writing in a Supportive Environment), a computerized package for teaching critical literacy, is described, focusing on its use in developing reading comprehension. The program eases demands on short-term memory, highlights strategically important aspects of comprehending text, guides internalization and self-initiation of…

Presents the Accommodations Planning Team (APT) seminar, a half-day job placement program for graduating students with disabilities. The seminar approaches placement via skills training and resource utilization. The group format enables teams to learn from one another. Structured activities introduce students to important career preparation…

Presents a study of the acquisition and development of information coordination ability. Examines students' composition of texts comparing two cultural groups after reading either one text describing both or a separate text on each. Concludes that older students used more complex information integration levels, whereas all subjects performed…

Fourth and fifth graders (n=38) were trained in four thinking roles (task definer, strategist, monitor, and challenger) through small-group discussions to determine whether they retained and transferred their self-directed critical thinking skills. They applied the thinking roles effectively in comparison to untrained children up to eight weeks…

This study examined the effects of 3 instructional methods--computer education, creative problem solving, and traditional gifted curriculum--on development of problem-solving skills of gifted students aged 8 to 12. Posttest scores of the computer education unit were significantly higher than scores for the computer literacy and problem-solving…

Proposals for a significant improvement in education include the following: an alternative program for low performing students; a school-plus plan that extends the school year; a program that gives students the option of returning to take classes; choice for the neighborhood school; a program for students who show an affinity for science and…

Describes a study examining research on classroom management and translating the findings into a skills-based program on effective classroom management. Reports that research-based concepts and principles are meaningful and of practical value to teachers. Recommends a conceptual- and skills-based approach to classroom management for development of…

Discusses instructional uses for the "Carmen Sandiego" software series to encourage interest in geography. Suggests "Carmen" be incorporated into the curriculum by teacher-directed grouping that adds teacher instruction into cooperative and competitive arenas, curriculum integration linking diverse specialties, and isolated…

This study examined beliefs and practices of Kentucky's Chapter 1 reading teachers (n=1,279) in light of requirements of the Hawkins-Stafford Amendments requiring instruction in advanced skills in Chapter 1 programs. Most teachers' practices did not match their beliefs; those whose beliefs and practices were consistent with an advanced skills…