Describes an alternate lexico-semantic view of native language acquisition and adult second language learning that proposes that humans acquire and learn words, names, titles, expressions, sayings, and formulas as undifferentiated lexical items first and then develop systems to store and retrieve the lexemes and combine them into phrases and…

Discusses a textbook annotation strategy. Examines the effectiveness and efficiency of the strategy. Finds that training students to annotate text enables them to perform effectively over time. Presents practical teaching suggestions for working with different types of students. (RS)

A literature-based model of good information processing is sketched describing how metacognitive knowledge influences strategy selection and use. Three problems for learning-disabled students in using study strategies productively are discussed: neurological impairments; deficiencies in general world knowledge; and negative beliefs, attitudes, and…

Premature academic instruction may undermine a child's learning tendencies or dispositions. Informal small-group interaction can strengthen dispositions and set the context for acquisition of knowledge, skills, and feelings. Teachers should focus on learning goals rather than performance goals. (SH)

Offers a solicited response to a question about learning styles, and discusses how this information should affect planning and implementing instruction. Finds that the instructional implications of the body of research on learning styles and learning modalities are limited. (MG)

Observes that preparing and searching a database will help students analyze, synthesize, and evaluate data, but stresses the need to distinguish between teaching how to process information and how to think. Sees the database as a tool in teaching social studies but maintains that the primary goal is to teach thinking skills. (CH)

To thrive in the 1990s, we must teach students how to think, create ideas cooperatively, select among equally attractive alternatives, and use far-minded flexibility in groups. School leaders can help by promoting new teaching and assessment methods, creative assignments, thinking research funding, business involvement, joint training…

Considered was the question of whether a strategy that was widely used by young children in clinical interviews occurred in less structured situations. Findings indicated that it did not occur in the performance of a routine counting task by preschoolers. Reasons for apparent discrepancies are discussed. (CW)

Studies the effectiveness of the analogical study guide, a structured study activity to accompany assigned reading. Compares its learning outcomes with outcomes of two unstructured activities commonly assigned to accompany reading: essay writing and self-questioning. Finds that superior prose-learning occurs when study activities are carefully…

Describes a program of individualized teacher education based on self-directed learning and emphasizing "learning how to learn." Discusses the place of learning strategies, the professor, entry competency rating, field studies, a learning portfolio, and practical field experience in the program. Reports a successful pilot implementation. Contains…

An analysis of gender attribution in native and second-language French acquisition shows how learners can develop explicit models of acquisition and explores the nature of the cognitive processes involved in encoding representations of acquired language. (105 references) (Author/CB)

Reviews what has been learned about the use of motivational and informational feedback in traditional instruction, examines how this knowledge may be useful in the design of feedback for computer-based instruction (CBI), and discusses the relationship between feedback and learning outcomes. Further research needs are suggested. (13 references)…

Presents a classroom technique for demonstrating the post-factum interpretation problem. Describes the various ways that students interpreted data concerning the percentage of men and women in traditionally female occupations. Discusses the various uses of this technique in both introductory and research classes. (KO)

This article examines task sheets and their use in the physical education curriculum. Task sheets allow students to progress at their own rate. They can be used to teach and evaluate closed skills and to encourage problem solving and discovery. Two examples of task sheets are included. (IAH)

Measures the effects of training students to make annotations vs. training them in journal writing, as preparation for objective and essay tests on novels. Finds annotations more effective for objective test items but not for essays. Finds that writing inferential annotations appeared to be correlated with answering inferential questions…