Examines influences on Israelis' reading habits during the past two decades, including the increase in the educational level, the assimilation of immigrants, the emergence of television and video, and the establishment of a network of public libraries. Reading habits of the school-age population and of Israel's Arab minority are also surveyed. (28…

Investigates effects of tonal harmonic accompaniment on 30 University of Miami (Florida) undergraduate music theory students' sightsinging ability. Finds harmonic accompaniment improved students' sightsinging accuracy especially at lowest training levels. Examines rationale for sightsinging with accompaniment; reviews related research findings;…

Fifteen learning-disabled (LD), 33 attention disordered (AD), and 28 normal adolescents were assessed with 2 performance measures and 3 behavioral measures while working on mathematics problems. Findings support theoretical predictions that LD and AD children have difficulty with repetitive stimuli, contributing to mathematics deficits. (SLD)

The growing body of research investigating how people search for or locate information in a variety of materials is reviewed and extended. Although the nature of materials and the complexity of locating tasks varies in the seven articles, each aims to elucidate the conditions that affect search processes. (SLD)

Discusses how children's books can engage students in communicating mathematical ideas. Describes situations in which teachers use literature as a stimulus for thinking, listening, writing, speaking, and reading about mathematics. (12 references) (MDH)

Explores the moral power of stories and histories that give children a common reference point and supply them with good examples. Stories, a way of transmitting values and wisdom, are even more important in a society that has experienced so much disruption in family and community. Includes a 30-item annotated bibliography of books for children and…

Describes a project undertaken by the Queensland University of Technology (Brisbane, Australia) to develop a booklet on the importance of reading to young children and distribute it to all mothers in maternity hospitals in Queensland. Discusses the conceptualization of the booklet, fund-raising tasks, and distribution. Reports on further…

An increase in understanding of the cognitive processes involved in reading and writing can improve teachers' effectiveness. Results from a survey of 48 states indicate that certification requirements for teaching reading and writing at elementary, secondary, and adult education levels are minimal. Implications for teacher education are discussed.…

Provides fully developed library media activities that are designed to be used in connection with specific curriculum units. Topics covered include art (U.S. folk art); reading/language arts (dramatizing story events); science (simple machines); and social studies (state and federal legislatures, and explorers). (LRW)

Researchers studied elementary teachers and students from bilingual Spanish/English classrooms, examining successful literacy practices for incorporation into bilingual teacher education programs. The paper investigates the impact of talking about literacy, learning about the code and other skills, writing/reading and meaning making, the social…

Describes using picture books and science activities in early childhood science instruction. Suggests titles of books and activities for the following topics: Time for Pets; Environmental Awareness; Dinosaurs Galore; Nighttime Science; Simple Machines; Insect Collections; Snowy Days; Water, Water, Everywhere; and Experimental Activities. (PR)

Results from the Maryland School Performance Assessment Program for 5,392 elementary school students and from the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (multiple choice) for a national sample are used to explore local item independence (LID) of test items. Some strategies are suggested for measuring LID in performance assessments. (SLD)

Examines reasons why African-American and Hispanic-American students tend to have lower average scores than do white students on standardized mathematics and reading examinations, using data from a study of teachers' basic skills in Texas involving almost 900 school districts. Teacher-related factors that improve student performance are discussed.…

Israel's AMAL Aleph High School combines advanced technology with regular high school academic studies. This article describes how one English-as-a-Second-Language teacher joined a project to develop an online English student magazine for the Center for Educational Technology Internet site, then used to the project to improve students' English…

Provides seven fully developed library media activities that are designed for use with specific curriculum units in art, music, reading and language arts, and social studies. Library media skills, objectives, grade levels, instructional roles, evaluation, and follow-up are described for each activity. (LRW)