Instructor (1990) articles from October 1998

Instructor (1990) archives from October 1998

Poetry pajamas. (poetry for children)
October 1, 1998... Wordplay, images, and the spirit of fun permeates many poems. That's why poetry naturally intrigues children. This issue's poem, "Polka Dot Pajamas," is a call-and-response chant, and can be used in many different ways - for choral reading,...

The monster project. (World Wide Web-based class project for improving reading and writing skills)
October 1, 1998... Ghouls and goblins, witches and warlocks, and, yes, monsters these are the creatures that haunt Halloween. To give your students a taste of the season's merriment, try a collaborative web-based project that boosts reading and writing skills. Go...

Connected classrooms. (learning potentials of the Internet)
October 1, 1998... An innovative but simple program holds the key to collaborative projects that connect young students with the world - and with each other. THE ZEBU CONNECTION These days, an easy way to bring the world into your classroom is to get your...

Journals of science. (use of journal writing in teaching science)(includes a related article on enhancing students' learning from science journals)
October 1, 1998... When my oldest son was in first grade, I did a science activity with his class using Indian corn. I assigned one child in each small group the role of recorder, and these recorders wrote down the words their group members used to describe their...

Ready, read, debate! (use of debate to teach reading)
October 1, 1998... Once considered the stuff of elite high schools, debating is finding its way into classrooms of all grade levels. And for good reason. The debating process teaches students how to investigate new ideas, develop critical thinking, and open their...

Hands-on, minds-on math.
October 1, 1998... Many math classrooms bustle with manipulatives and hands-on activities, as they should. Yet busy hands don't always mean busy minds. We need to analyze what we ask our children to do in "hands-on" math, and make sure that they are not simply...

Creating homework success. (improving quality of homework for students)
October 1, 1998... While educators and parents continue to debate how much homework to give, here are some proven strategies for improving the quality of homework in your classroom. While these complaints are nothing new, students, parents, and teachers alike...

Handle with care: the difficult parent-teacher conference.
October 1, 1998... It's unavoidable. Amidst all your parent conferences that are enjoyable and flow with ease, once in a while a really tough one comes along that tests your preparedness, your professionalism, and, at times, even your patience. The conference may...

Throwing out the schedule. (flexibility in classroom management)
October 1, 1998... At age seven, Allison worried about things - especially reading. All of Allison's friends were reading chapter books and loved bragging how they were on page 128 of their RL4 book. Allison was still on easy readers. She felt behind schedule and...