First Steps is a program instituted by the Western Australia Ministry of Education to improve the literacy and numeracy of primary school students, particularly those at risk of academic failure. First Steps is organized around reading, writing, spelling, and oral language; children's skills are organized along developmental continua. This study,…

This manual describes different types of accommodations educators can use to include students with disabilities in general education classrooms, including accommodations relating to instructional methods and materials, assignments and classroom assessments, time demands and scheduling, learning environment, and use of special communication…

The purpose of this essay is to explore both what is known and what needs to be learned about the information value of performance items "when they are used in large scale assessments." Within the context of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), there is substantial motivation for answering these questions. Over the…

In the UK, there is a marked gender gap in the educational attainment of boys and girls. At the end of compulsory education, 10 per cent fewer boys achieve 5 or more good GCSEs. This gap is by no means confined to GCSE. It is evident at all Key Stages. Furthermore, some indicators suggest that the gap has widened over time. In this paper, we…

One of the most difficult problems of modern school practice is how to prevent overcrowding the curriculum, breaking up the school day into small fragments of time devoted to disconnected tasks, and dissipating the energies of the children to such an extent that the process of education is hindered rather than helped by the attempts to enrich and…

The best expression of a people's ideals is to be found in their literature, and there is no better or more effective means of disseminating these ideals among the masses of the people than through the right use of the best of the literature in the schools and elsewhere. The great struggle in which the United States is now engaged for the…

This regular feature contains five lesson outlines on: (1) Vitrac, a small French village; (2) structural and lexical exercises using automobile advertisements; (3) a radioplay done by student teachers; (4) the autobiography of a French peasant; and (5) nasal sounds including description, examples, and exercises. (AMH)

A study compared the writing strategies used by an adolescent in two essays, one in Danish (native language) and one in English (second language), assigned as homework. Analysis of think-aloud protocols focused on four behaviors: commenting; reading aloud; writing; and verbatim verbalizations of text before writing. Analysis found very similar…

Profiles an undergraduate course that combined historical research on U.S. foreign relations with writing assignments designed to develop and improve writing skills. Students begin with short papers summarizing key points of instruction and move on to more detailed analyses of academic articles, films, and memoirs. (MJP)

Describes a pilot project designed to foster quality literacy projects by fifth-grade students; establish a positive working relationship between fifth-grade teachers and the Chapter 1 reading teachers; and provide an enriching atmosphere for the use of computers. Notes that the project uses portfolios and a process model of writing. Notes staff…

Provides lesson plans for grades 8-9 mathematics; 4-6 music; 4-6 reading/language arts; K and 3-4 science; and 6-8 social studies. Lists print and nonprint resources, and library media and subject area objectives; discusses instructional roles, activities, procedures, evaluation, and follow-up. Includes a pirate book plate and lists 26 real…

Provides an excellent annotated bibliography concerning the post-World War II situation in Germany and the origins of the Cold War. Many of the books listed incorporate a wide range of primary sources including, memoirs, diary entries, newspaper accounts, and official documents. Some of the annotations include teaching suggestions. (MJP)

Reviews 39 resources investigating issues such as the family/school connection; one and two parent families; loneliness in adolescent females; disabilities; parents as "schoolmates"; getting parents involved; the role of Spanish-speaking parents; art therapy; enhancing prosocial behavior; school-community networks; language, cultural,…

Assesses the impact of libraries on one measure of high school reading proficiency, the verbal section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Data on per pupil expenditures, computer software, teacher to student ratio, public library circulation, and books per student in the school library media center were analyzed from all 50 United States and…

Examines several important principles of writing (e.g., different approaches for different audiences) and applies these to economics and business education. Discusses approaches to teaching writing in this context. Includes a rhetorical case assignment, teaching tips, and discussion of students' reactions to this approach. (MJP)