Hands-on experience lets students explore, discover, and think their way through science. The article explains why hands-on science works, presenting tools for getting started with few resources. Activities have students work with the environment in their backyards and the schoolyard. Resources for hands-on science are presented. (SM)

The best help parents can offer students with their homework is instituting a formal study program. Rather than assisting with reading, writing, and arithmetic, parents should spend more time teaching students to organize, budget time, plan ahead, concentrate, handle responsibility, and solve problems. (SM)

Evaluates a program that encourages elementary school students and their parents to study science in an inquiry-oriented fashion in their own homes. Findings indicate that the program is viewed positively by both the students and their parents, and there are gender and grade-level differences in the student perceptions. (Author/PR)

Outlines methodology employed during six-month period to integrate quantitative and qualitative research results. The project, involving mainstreamed learning-disabled students' problems with homework assignments, was designed to study educational issues through use of directed focus groups in which groups discuss specific topic in detail.…

Interviews with 12 students each from grades 1 through 4 found students' attitudes could be placed in four categories differing on attitudes toward school learning, homework, and personal learning projects. More students with than without learning disabilities fell into the category which saw almost all learning as an imposition. (DB)

A survey of eighth graders in 11 countries showed that countries whose students averaged the most homework (8 to 9 hours weekly) also had the highest average test scores. Swedish and U.S. students did the least homework (4 to 5 hours weekly) and had the lowest scores. Japan's system is praised and U.S. youth's TV-viewing habits deplored. (MLH)

A study of a 12-year-old boy with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder investigated the effectiveness of a token economy incentive program implemented in the home setting to increase attention to task while doing homework assignments. Results found the boy's percentage of time spent on-task increased markedly. (Author/CR)

Examined the effects of traditional versus learning-style-responsive study strategies on eighth graders' mathematics achievement, frequency of studying, and attitudes. Found that students applying learning-style-responsive strategies had significantly higher mathematics achievement and attitude scores than students using traditional strategies. No…

Describes "assigned conversations," a technique for inducing focused study of reading assignments outside of class by using them to structure cooperative learning in class. Individual students take responsibility for leading a class conversation about a portion of text. Application with both large and small classes indicated the method increases…

Examined whether well-administered verbal praise from their professor would affect college students' time spent on homework. The professor provided verbal praise or no verbal praise to different groups, and students completed a time-spent-on- homework-log. Results revealed that students who received verbal praise studied significantly more outside…

Mainstreamed students (N=37) with learning disabilities (LD) and an equal number of nondisabled (ND) high school students were compared on five independent variables: grades, time spent on homework, scholastic competence, global self-worth, and school membership. ND students reported higher grades and more favorable ratings of scholastic…

Examines research indicating that while homework assigned at the middle school level does improve achievement, homework in the lower grades appears to undermine children's school attitudes and to have little effect on their school performance. Suggests goals and characteristics of useful homework assignments. (HTH)

Examines student success in a freshman chemistry course that involves students who are at risk of failure. (Contains 14 references.) (YDS)

Teachers can encourage parental involvement and appreciation of studying Spanish through simple homework assignments. This article discusses how students and parents work together to discover the impact of the Spanish-speaking world on their surroundings. (Author)

This study found that, after self-management training and implementation of self-managed individual and group contingency procedures, 16 sixth-grade students having homework difficulties in mathematics made substantial improvements in amount of homework completed. Students who selected their own goals did better than students who were given a…