After two years of teaching chemistry and math for the Peace Corps in a small village school in Ghana, Mike Athens now works as the ranking administrator overseeing Peace Corps operations in Tanzania. Athens, who is Native American, believes his experiences in Africa will help him to expand his skills and better serve his community when he returns…

A synthesis of ideas on talent development is presented, based on 10 interviews previously conducted with masters in arts and sciences. The six themes include: age at which the individual identifies with a discipline, early schooling experiences, skills and characteristics associated with great expertise, mentors, skills and characteristics…

Results of a British program of eight learning strategy workshops for university freshmen are discussed. The workshops focused on essay writing and test-taking skills. Regular attendees had significantly more sophisticated conceptions of learning than irregular attendees and had higher essay and examination scores. However, differences in overall…

Strategies and considerations for establishing initial communication repertoires in young children with severe disabilities are described using a case example of a four-year-old nonverbal child. Issues include: assessing unconventional forms of communication, motivating the child when being taught new communication forms, and promoting…

Compares two models for delivering emancipation preparation services to foster youths on pragmatic, structural, and client outcomes dimensions. The models differ primarily on the extent of caseworker involvement. Suggests that a model which incorporates both skill-building programs and an intensive and integrated case management function holds…

Investigated whether specific strategies of commenting or questioning by the adult reader would influence the complexity and type of spontaneous comments to story details made by children listening to stories. Results suggest that parents and teachers should combine questioning and commenting during storybook readings to induce lengthier comments…

Examines why the U.S. educational system often produces students who graduate without adequate writing skills and how the stage was set through a political climate that created lowered expectations of student skills. The article explores the failed attempts of the process schools of composition, its counterweight known as deconstruction, and the…

Reports on a study designed to replicate and extend existing literature on important factors and abilities that influence sight-reading skills in music. Finds that, in the beginning stages of training, sight-reading skill is not correlated significantly with ability to perform rehearsed music. (CFR)

The fourth article in a four-part series on instructional design discusses evaluation of a psychomotor skills unit taught in preclinical dental education. Issues examined include piloting of instructional materials, analysis and revision of materials based on student performance, syllabus design and content, influence of faculty characteristics,…

A school for deaf and hard-of-hearing preschoolers organized and presented a circus, with the objectives of improving reading and writing skills, interaction and cooperation, math and science readiness, fine and gross motor skills, and self-esteem. The students performed as lion tamers, lions, tumblers, weight lifters, and clowns. (JDD)

A cognitive approach to teaching property law is illustrated with a case in which an individual's blood sample was used to develop a valuable serum. Applicability of property rights was at issue. It is suggested that cognitive thinking can inform and improve analysis and instruction in evolving areas of law. (MSE)

Identified three preschool models operating in an urban school district. Compared the mastery of basic skills and the social, motor, language, and adaptive development of 295 children who attended the preschools. Found that children in preschools that allowed child-initiated learning demonstrated the greatest mastery of basic skills. (MM)

Reviews research concerning the use of modeling strategies in music instruction. Asserts that nonverbal instruction is clearly preferable to verbal description in many situations. Concludes that modeling is effective in promoting musical skills across a wide age distribution. Argues that modeling is of value in teaching virtually any musical…

Pretests measuring critical thinking ability and mental alertness were administered to 72 first-year college students at the beginning of an introductory computer programing course. Posttests administered at the end of the semester showed significant improvement in both areas, indicating that instruction in programing improves students' critical…

Discusses a sixth grade teacher's experience in turning a classroom project into a book. Offers advice for teachers on becoming writers. Explores obstacles, benefits, and suggestions on writing, editing, and publishing work. Describes a class project that resulted in the cleanup of a toxic waste site and the publication of "The Kid's Guide to…