Describes some recent studies which establish that meaningful learning can be promoted by a certain type of questioning activity, called elaborative interrogation, that leads students to activate prior knowledge and tie it to the new information. (SR)

Two studies revealed differences between junior-high gifted and average ability students on the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory, with the average students indicating more anxiety. Gender differences were also exhibited, with girls scoring higher than boys in motivation, study aids, and self-testing. (Author/JDD)

Outlines strategies for implementing storytelling in the classroom over a two-week period, beginning with shared story telling of existing folktales and progressing to student creation and telling of narratives based on the folktale model. Consists of an introductory phase, a laboratory phase, and a performance phase. (LP)

Offers examples of games and problem-solving strategies to help students solve word problems in mathematics. Emphasizes the importance of first considering the question the word problem poses and using game techniques to teach students how to transfer those same strategies to solve different math problems. (TJQ)

Demonstrates how repertory grid technique was used to elicit students' ideas about energy. Constructs were divided from a sample of 55 Western Australian year-9 secondary students. A call is made for the development of a learning approach which is based on the unique views of students. (LZ)

Discusses how two small children learned important lessons by being allowed to make their own decisions and think their way through situations rather than being told by adults how to handle those situations. The article highlights the importance of discovery learning and the development of self-confidence. (SM)

Explores the personal and informal dimensions of listening to and making music, noting the varieties of genres and cultural representations in Hawaii. The article explains how to expand one's experiences with music and discusses how to select musical activities. Descriptions of pitch, time, medium, form, and expression are included. (SM)

Describes the use of keyword mnemonics as an aid to vocabulary learning. Warns that the technique does not result in students' being able to use the word in discourse or thinking. Considers the appropriate use and limitations of the method and its application in a developmental reading class. (DMM)

Middle school students with neurological impairments suffer academic declines and a reduced sense of self-worth and empowerment. Schools Attuned is a program that helps teachers recognize neurodevelopmental dysfunctions such as attention disorders, memory deficits, language disabilities, and visual and motor impairments. The program also helps…

Reviews three books in the professional literature that discuss ways early childhood teachers can support science learning in young children. (BB)

Research shows that peer tutoring is more cost effective than many other instructional strategies. Parsons (Kansas) High School grants credit for tutoring and being tutored. Participating juniors and seniors enroll in regularly scheduled elective course that meets daily. Tutors work with partners on everything from solving quadratic equations to…

Presents study results examining conditions in which children can apply a previously learned memorization strategy to new but analogous tasks. Concludes that strategy mastery during training is not sufficient. Reports that only subjects who use information about relations between procedures and results to construct generalizable knowledge are able…

Discusses seven strategies teachers can implement without cost to help students consciously use techniques to aid comprehension and promote critical thinking. Illustrates the strategies with classroom observations and supporting documentation from leading reading specialists. (RS)

Describes two experiments which examined how supplementing specific practice experiences with variable practice experiences influenced motor skill retention. Participants received varying trials of acquisition practice on a criterion force production task. Acquisition practice with variations of the criterion task led to better retention than…