An interview method for assessing reading processes was pilot tested to examine reader-text interaction among native-Spanish-speaking fifth graders. Subjects were active participants in the reading situation but were lacking in aspects related to the text's cultural content. The reading interview method is highly recommended for use in…

Evaluates gender differences in the relation between stressful life events and adjustment among elementary school children, using 63 Israeli children and parallel questionnaires from 83 Israeli mothers. Life events are associated among boys, but not girls, with increased anxiety and heightened withdrawal. Other differences are discussed. (SLD)

This article explores the possibility of linking essential skills within elementary content areas to Algozzine and Ysseldyke's model of effective instruction. Specifically, suggestions are offered for using handwriting and art to express ideas and feelings. The suggestions address the teaching principles of motivating students and providing…

A problem-solving strategy for dealing with disruptive student behavior in the college classroom is outlined. It uses a series of questions designed to provide perspective on the problem and aid in generating responses. Steps include clarifying the problem, identifying critical elements, describing context, analyzing emotional and behavioral…

Describes efforts to assess the effectiveness of high school-aged interpreters through the use of a field experiment and measures of audience response. Concludes that youth naturalists were not always as effective in delivering interpretive programs as are adults; however, data suggest that the efficacy of employing youth as interpreters is strong…

Provides an overview of the research concerning students' perceptions of foreign nations. Compares and contrasts the various measurement techniques including the two most commonly used; semantic differential scales and pair comparisons. Suggests methods for alternative analysis and offers recommendations for future research. Includes a sample…

Examines whether negotiation addresses the need of second- language (L2) learners to focus attention on L2 form. The study analyzed the utterances of negotiation produced as 20 English native speaker-nonnative speaker (NS-NNS) dyads engaged in communication tasks. Negotiation assisted the NNS needs for data on features that were possible in the…

Computerized-adaptive (CAT) and self-adapted (SAT) music listening tests were compared for efficiency, reliability, validity, and motivational benefits with 53 junior high school students. Results demonstrate trade-offs, with greater potential motivational benefits for SAT and greater efficiency for CAT. SAT elicited more favorable responses from…

The usefulness of three item response theory-based methods and the Mantel Haenszel technique in evaluating the measurement equivalence of translated assessment instruments was demonstrated in a study involving 2,000 French-speaking Canadian adults who took a French test translation and 2,000 English-speaking adults who took the English original.…

A study involving eight female Canadian elementary teachers and counselors used metaphors to help teachers reflect on their experiences of student anger. This strategy enabled emotional detachment from students' anger, was more accessible than other strategies at highly emotional times, had moderating effects on inappropriate student behavior, and…

Describes an English teacher's approach to teaching literature in translation at a community college, which included developing a translation Web site. Addresses issues of language choices in translation, the validity of translated works as literature, and differences among translations of the same work. (NB)

A former youth at risk who is now an expert on youth development introduces the reader to the concept of Family Privilege. Individuals who grow up with this unearned advantage may fail to recognize the degree to which stable families set the stage for their success in life. (Author)

This study examined whether aggression is contagious in day care classrooms. In a low-income, urban day care center, it was hypothesized that aggression was more likely to occur immediately following an aggressive act than when no aggression occurred. The prediction was tested using a newly developed randomization process and the hypothesis was…

Reports on a study where subjects were asked to evaluate the level of musical intensity expressed in various music excerpts. Defines musical intensity as that which conveys strong, ardent, or concentrated emotion. Compares subjects' ongoing evaluation (continuous) with a single concluding (summative) evaluation. Includes a list of orchestral…

As part of an undergraduate course, 147 preservice teachers graded components of an imaginary eighth grader's language-arts portfolio over a 10-week period. Subsequent participant interviews revealed that grading was influenced by the prescribed grading policy, but also by the perceived appropriateness of assessment instruments and the holistic…