Fourth and fifth graders marked on a checklist the titles and authors of children's books which they recognized. This measure of exposure to print was correlated with children's growth in reading ability as measured by standardized tests. Individual differences in growth in reading were significantly related to the measure. (BC)

Structural equation models of the same construct collected on different occasions are evaluated in 2 studies involving the evaluation of 157 college instructors over 8 years and data for over 2,200 high school students over 4 years for the Youth in Transition Study. Results challenge overreliance on simplex models. (SLD)

Compared nonhandicapped children, children rated low on social interaction, and children with physical or mental handicaps, on social competence measures. Found that, on several measures, nonhandicapped and speech impaired children were superior to children who were rated low on social interaction, behaviorally disordered, and developmentally…

Delay times were measured under several conditions of self-imposed gratification delay for preschool children. The cognitive, self-regulatory, and coping competence of the children at adolescence was significantly predicted by delay times in the no-strategy condition with exposed rewards, but not in the suggested strategy condition. (BC)

Addresses one aspect of individual differences and how socially learned cues may radically influence the verbal learning tasks performed by university students taking a foreign language. The nonuniversity studies reviewed provide the backdrop for a more in-depth study on four memorization modes and how these strategies are largely dependent on…

Learning styles represent a type of aptitude-treatment interaction suggesting that a person's distinctive characteristics (aptitudes) can be matched to a specific treatment (instructional method) yielding a more effective outcome than could otherwise have been achieved. Special education research does not support categorizing youngsters or using…

Explores a situation in which a well-qualified woman teacher chose not to apply for internal promotion to a management position. Deficit models, trait models, and patterns of gender hostility were less important than complex individual behavior and external constraints that show subtle gender dimensions behind a foreground of financial pressures…

Recent within-twin estimates of schooling returns are considerably higher than existing estimates. This paper shows that small ability differences among twins can yield more upward omitted-ability bias (and more upward bias overall) in the instrumental variables estimate correcting for measurement error than in the standard within-twin estimate.…

Students from a predominantly Navajo high school discuss their lives, educational experiences, culture, and aspirations. They value their home language and culture, but want to achieve success in the wider world. Students' views often contradict educators' perceptions. School communities must build on these differences, rather than on homogeneity.…

Discusses looping, or multiyear assignment of children, as a strategy to ease the retention/social-promotion dilemma. Multiyear assignment gives teachers extra time to bring low-performing students up to grade level and develop stable, caring relationships with students. A suburban Kansas school's successful program is profiled. (24 references)…

Investigated the role of phonological and orthographic processing skills in second-language reading of 60 native-Farsi-speaking English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) graduate students. Three types of ESL reading variables were used: reading and comprehension, silent reading rate, and ability to recognize individual words. Efficiency in phonological…

Proposes and briefly discusses several hypotheses concerning the unique developmental status of peer relations in the first three years of life. Analyzes the meaning of individual differences in very early peer competencies. Suggests that developmental differences in peer relations might translate into hypotheses regarding early individual…

Notes that caregivers, parents, and teachers struggle with discipline; suggests that examination of possible causes of unacceptable behaviors may lead to understanding. Contends that reflection rather than reaction can promote positive outcomes as five basic issues contribute to child behavior: (1) developmental stage; (2) individual difference;…

Identifies conceptual and methodological strengths of Hawley and Little's article and commends the pedagogical value of the approach taken. Notes that questions still unanswered concern the validity of adult caregiver perceptions of social dominance, the relationship between competition hierarchies and hierarchies based on directed agonism, and…

Reading researchers are under attack by policy makers and others outside the field who want a quick, easy method for teaching students to read. Although common ground exists, nothing points to any single best way to teach reading. What matters most is the teacher, flexible approaches, and student interests. Contains 17 references. (MLH)