Reports findings of a national survey of members of the Association of Teachers of Technical Writing. Focuses on practices of assessing student classroom work and what technical writing instructors would like to assess. Finds that technical communication instructors engage in positive practices that allow them to offer their students multiple and…

Describes a practicum at the English Language and Literature Department at the Teacher Training College of Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest. Seeks to improve both the department's relationship with the school-based mentors and the connection between the methodology seminars and actual teaching practice. Notes changes made have generated…

Explores of the influences of social class on one adolescent's language and literacy practices as she moved from high school in an isolated rural community to college in an urban framework. Notes the student became alienated by college courses that did not acknowledge language competencies related to her status as a working-class person. Concludes…

In this introductory article, a response-to-instruction approach to learning disabilities (LD) identification is discussed. An overview of the promise and potential pitfalls of such an approach is provided. Benefits include identification of students based on risk rather than deficit and early identification. Questions concern the integrity of the…

This study compared three methods for assessing relational aggression (RA) and physical aggression (PA) in preschool children: a teacher rating scale; a peer nomination measure; and a direct observation measure. Results showed intermethod agreement between peer and teacher ratings of RA for girls and PA for boys. All three methods indicated boys…

This paper describes an interdisciplinary model for the assessment of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that includes families as active participants and collaborators and emphasizes cultural competence and a strengths perspective. Steps in the assessment process are detailed. Preliminary research on the assessment model indicates its…

A range of metaphors composed by gifted elementary children are presented and discussed in terms of what they indicate about their personal worlds, special talents, and emotional insights. The approach to creative writing described in the article also has the potential to assist with the identification of linguistic talent. (Contains references.)…

Examines the following elements of scaffolding, providing insight into the librarian's role as educator: attention, ownership, collaboration, appropriateness, modeling, support, adjustment, and internationalization. A sidebar lists 10 ways to recognize a constructivist children's reference librarian. (AEF)

Discusses the importance of teaching vocabulary in the content area so that at-risk readers can develop strategies to see word relationships and the importance of higher-level thinking. Examines and offers specific examples of the strategies of mnemonigraph cards, analogies, and word groupings. (RS)

Teaching the geography of the United States to gifted elementary-level children in a way that challenges preconceived ideas about people and places is the focus of this article. Detailed student instruction is described, including thinking and writing activities that enable students to compare preconceived notions and reality. (CR)

This article considers ways to keep a gifted student interested while teaching basic skills to others in an inclusive classroom setting. The challenges that an inclusive environment presents to the teacher are described. Strategies recommended to provide gifted students with a differentiated curriculum include curriculum compacting, independent…

The development of programming for the gifted in Lincolnshire (England) is traced. A collaborative approach to teaching the gifted is discussed, and current objectives of the Gifted and Able Pupils Support Service are listed. Organizational strategies to enhance services to the gifted are described. (CR)

The psychological autopsy and its use in studying the suicides of three adolescents at a school for gifted students are described in this article. Positive and negative effects of autopsy interviews are discussed, as is the importance of confidentiality. A sample interview protocol is provided for psychological autopsy researchers. (Author/PB)

The use of constructivism in mathematics instruction for regular and special education students, including those with learning disabilities, is explored. Issues addressed include the explicit-to-implicit continuum of constructivism, perceptions of constructivism relating to teachers and students, the setting demands of a constructivistic learning…

Traces the origins of Friedrich Froebel's views on children, curriculum, pedagogics, and didactics; the underpinnings of his beliefs concerning the nature of knowledge; and the kinds of knowledge and dispositions he believed were appropriate for children to acquire. (MDM)