This article examines the teacher's contribution to the indirect effect that within-classroom grouping has on student achievement. Two distinct types of groups (ability groups and peer work-groups) are discussed and recommendations made for effective use of within-class grouping. (IAH)

Reviews research on the practice of ability grouping (the grouping of students for instruction by ability or achievement to create homogeneous instructional groups). Notes several negative effects of ability grouping, and discusses the implications of this research for classroom practice. (MM)

Examines the importance of teaching critical thinking and intellectual standards through the use of an engaged lecture style. Indicates that engaged lectures pressure students to intellectually process the information conveyed by the teacher and thus better understand the lecture's content. Describes the key issues regarding the implementation of…

Assists teachers in utilizing microcomputer instruction to maximize the effectiveness of classroom reading programs. Asserts that, when microcomputers are used with the appropriate software, they can be successfully integrated with the reading curriculum. Discusses the role of the teacher, selection of software, classroom organization, and current…

Describes characteristics of immigrant children from the former Soviet Union and implications of these characteristics for U.S. teachers. Considers differences between U.S. and Soviet schools in scheduling practices, bathroom routines, racial composition, meals, languages, clothing, naps, and parent/school relationships. (LB)

Schedules of classroom activities and direct observation of actual activities were collected in 24 early childhood special education classrooms. Significant differences were found between the amount of time that teachers allotted for activities (such as play, self-care, transition, and story time) and the amount of observed time that children…

Observes a fifth grade classroom where students were heterogeneously grouped for reading to see how the teacher organized and managed this type of grouping. Examines the effect on students' reading. Includes a description of the teacher's plan and outlines factors contributing to the success of the plan based on observation and student reports.…

When a high school science teacher reorganized her class from tracking to heterogeneous grouping, overall grades and interest in science increased. Structural and cultural changes she made included cooperative learning, rubrics for assessment, and complex project work. (SK)

Argues that literacy workshop classrooms, though they may appear chaotic, are highly organized environments. Reviews six model theories of organizations and their management. Describes a typical day in a seventh-grade literacy workshop. Outlines revisions needed in educators' thinking about their professional practice, and suggests strategies to…

Comparison of every-day and every-other-day instructional schedules with six preschool children (two with autism and pervasive developmental disorders) found the every-other-day schedule equally effective in fewer sessions and minutes of instruction than the every-day schedule. Generalization and follow-up were not differentially affected by the…

Discusses the application of pragmatic and discoursal principles to second-language acquisition (SLA). After critical examination of more traditionally oriented approaches, the article reanalyzes the process of SLA in an interactively oriented setting and applies the principle of "adjacency pair" to the context of SLA. The principle of…

Highlights the importance of classroom design and organization to early childhood learning environments, and addresses design considerations such as working around fixed features, maximizing learning through organization, and safety. Examines learning considerations such as environment, day's schedule, and support of positive behavior. Highlights…

This guide has been prepared as an aid to the trainer/facilitator of adult education. Section I addresses some of the more common myths concerning adult learners, particularly the 50-plus age group. Section II describes the "to-be" 50-64 age group population, based on literature searches. Section III identifies learners do or do not participate in…

The concept of open or progressive education has come to mean that to learn one needs no discipline, no systematic organization, no planning. However, there is a middle, or at least another ground, between the ends of laissez faire and authoritarianism. It has to do with the structure of process. For example, the Key Vocabulary of Sylvia…

The Classroom Pairing System (CPS) for second language instruction is a simple pattern practice technique that allows students to practice orally with a partner. An advantage of the technique is that it allows maximum time on task for each student in a large class. Students hold picture cards in their hands, and the partners ask and answer…