Instructor (1990) articles from September 1998

Instructor (1990) archives from September 1998

Strategies for struggling readers: making predictions.
September 1, 1998... When you ask probing questions about stories and your students draw blanks or provide very simple ideas, it's a sign that they're not using the clues that help them make strong predictions. The comprehension strategy of making predictions...

Dazzling displays. (classroom)
September 1, 1998... Classroom displays are a key ingredient in creating just the right environment for learning. Today it is possible to produce nearly every sort of display you might need for your classroom on a desktop computer. Ideas and tools you can use to...

Notice the ordinary. (poetry writing)
September 1, 1998... Many young poets make the mistake of thinking that their poems must be about a grand topic. As a result, they overlook the common, everyday objects, events, and experiences that they share with many people. "Apple" by Nan Fry gives students a...

The lesson called Garfield Shainline. (Sunday School teacher)
September 1, 1998... Editor's Note: Everyone has one: a teacher they'll never forget. Jerry Spinelli, the author of numerous children's books including the Newbery Award-winning Maniac Magee, kicks off our column saluting unforgettable educators. Spinelli originally...

Fun with the scientific method.
September 1, 1998... Mrs. Kepler, the aquarium is all green again. Every Monday morning this past spring, my third-grade students made this observation. Without the daily scrubbing by the children, the sides of the tank grew a thick covering of algae. But why was...

Don't forget the facts: getting back to basics can pave the way for higher level learning. (mathematics instruction) (includes related articles on guidelines for math drills and teaching of multiplication)
September 1, 1998... Drilling children on basic math facts and administering timed tests seem to have gotten a bad rap. Increasingly, teachers are encouraged to move to a math curriculum rich with problem solving, manipulatives, and active learning. Yet, focusing on...

You gotta have art.
September 1, 1998... Do you sing in the shower? Do you doodle during faculty meetings? If so, you've already experienced the power of the arts to express ideas and inspire the imagination. I'm not kidding. Maybe doodles aren't fine art, but we are surrounded by...

Forging productive teacher librarian partnerships.
September 1, 1998... Strong teacher-librarian partnerships result in great class projects and happy, enthusiastic learners. Pick up a few simple partnership strategies and you can perk up your whole day! Every morning I find at least five scrawled notes on my desk...

Who says class size doesn't matter?!
September 1, 1998... While experts and policy makers argue about the ideal class size, what's a teacher to do? Second-grade teacher Heidi Salter says she first saw red over the issue of class size the day she was giving a little extra attention to a student who'd...

Welcome to a great open house! (parents' visits to children's classrooms)(Cover Story)
September 1, 1998... Make your next open house an awesome event with these tried and true preparation strategies. You know what they say: "There's never a second chance to make a good first impression." For teachers, this is never more true than during your first...

Strategic phonics: research-based phonics strategies bolster your reading program.
September 1, 1998... Wisely, teachers know that keen observation, common sense, and good judgment are their most reliable tools for helping students learn to read. That's why you must draw on your own good judgment when deriding how to incorporate phonics into your...

Phonics and literature: the one-two punch that stops reading failure.
September 1, 1998... As school teachers on the front lines, you don't need researchers to tell you a literacy crisis exists in America. You're looking for solutions you can use in your daily teaching. We wrote this article to help teachers prevent reading failure by...

Carmela's struggle. (non-English speaking student)
September 1, 1998... Carmela sat at her desk in silence. Her face was blank and her body inactive as the rest of my class engaged in their daily lessons. An Inca girl adopted from Peru, 8-year-old Carmela had been in my third-grade English as a Second Language class...