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Tips and techniques to help young authors render time and place vividly Read a few more lines of the Newbery Award-winning Holes by Louis Sachar and you learn that while [...]

Mini-lessons and techniques to help young writers create vivid, memorable characters 'I was thinner than I had been when I was first arrested. The large iron ring around my waist [...]

Tips and techniques to help young writers grab their audience and draw them in Where's Papa going with that ax?' said Fern to her mother as they were setting the [...]

Now's the time to plan classroom seating arrangements that really work - for your students and for you. Whether you choose rows, small groups, a big circle, or something completely [...]

How to create your own directory of homegrown helpers What do you do when you run into roadblocks with a new piece of software? Or when you need materials about […]

An anytime-of-the-year interactive bulletin board to support collaborative writing How many times has your 'Fall Colors' bulletin board kept its leaves long after the trees outside have dropped theirs? Rather [...]

Offers a writing workshop for grade school students. Way to introduce children to text structures; Ways to organize words; Examples of transitions.

Presents tips on helping students write interesting storylines. Suggestions from author Pam Munoz Ryan; Activity on sentence sequencing; How writers can elaborate on the main events that make up a plot of the story.

Presents ideas and classroom activities for motivating primary students' reading and writing skills. Setting up a publication center in the classroom; How to provide an audience for children's writings; Tips on how to introduce children to the idea of reading poetry aloud.

Discusses ways on how to help children become critical readers and engaging writers in considering the author's point of view. Questions that will motivate children to think about the author's point of view; Activities to pique the ability of the child; Books where one can find the other perspective of common fairy tales; Use of story skits.

Provides information on some strategies and materials that can be used to teach students about cause and effect relationships. Strategies for struggling readers; Overview of the book `On My Honor,' by Marion Dane Bauer; Tips on focusing on historical fiction.

Deals with several reading and writing activities for students to enhance their inferencing skills. Reading and role playing; Ways to help students make inferences; Creating mini-mystery stories.

Presents ideas and student activities that focus on learning sequencing skills. Story ladders; Strategies to help students focus on story sequence; Comic cut-ups; Timelines to help students understand sequence in nonfiction books; Sequencing station using bulletin boards.

Suggests several children's books and activities to boost prediction skills in children. List of books that boost skills; Activity to make students give their opinions; Strategies for struggling readers; Mapping activity.

Provides information on the benefits of lost-cost technology tools used by teachers. Multimedia encyclopedia; Modems; Computer-to-tv connector; CD-ROM. INSETS: Win! Your own electronic encyclopedia.;Win! A modem and a subscription to scholastic network!..

Features art teacher Harvey Goldstein's Filmart course which teaches film art and animation to students at the Highmeadows Common Campus in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Project in art history; Creation of an instructional film about animation; Tools used; Tips for incorporating animation in class projects. INSETS: Exploring animation the low-tech way.;Animation answers (animation and slide-show software).;Multimedia meets multidisciplinary learning..

Features selected books on family life. `Octopus Hug,' by Laurence Pringle; `Zinnia and Dot,' by Lisa Campbell Ernst; `Tom,' by Tomie dePaola; More.

Narrates how three teachers derived benefits in using computers for instruction. Geography teacher Kristine Lynes of Oyster River Elementary School in Durham, New Hampshire; Second-grade teacher Teri Grant of Willow Elementary School in Pekin, Illinois; Trisha Whitney of The Drinking Gourd Elementary School in Eugene, Oregon.

Presents ideas for guiding the young authors in one's classroom in their creative expression. Use of Janet Wong's poems to inspire students to write creatively; Techniques for making books children will treasure; Creating handmade paper; Guide to getting published.

Presents activities that allow grade school teachers to help their students explore story plots and guide them in building their own compelling plots. Introducing plot with `Amistad Rising'; Mini-lesson; Three-step storyboards; Using a poster to teach plot.

Discusses the science fiction genre for student readers and writers.

Presents information on children's reaction to science. Information on how to shadows are made; Details on why the moon changes its shape; Reference to rain detectives; Information on rainbows. INSETS: What are shadows;Why does the moon change shape?;How is ice made?;Why does it rain?

Describes five creative activities that children can do with their parents during the winter season. Making paper snowflakes; Mixing up a batch of play clay; Making homemade ice cream; Making paint pops; Going out for a walk.

Features curriculum-based computer activities for summer. Title selections; Summer reading materials; Growth measurements; Reading opportunities; Summer calendars.

Explains how the Westridge Elementary School in Littleton, Colorado has been able to integrate math instruction throughout the curriculum. How the idea came about; Example; How parents were won over to this approach; The students' response; Recommendations for making team-teaching in math work.

Suggests to elementary teachers the use of posters to show students how authors use writing devices in their work. Activities to help students create their own literary work.

Discusses several creative and imaginative activities for children. Color safari; Treasure chimes; Stories-in-a-sack; Trio of bird feeders.

Presents infornmation on various electronic books which can be used in the classroom to educate children on technology. Background on `Madeline and the Magnificent Puppet Show,' `Smart Books,' and `How the Leopard Got His Spots.' INSET: Literature online: Web sites worth exploring..

Presents ideas for helping students improve their organizational habits. Using folders and holders; Storing books; Pencil holder; Recording class and homework assignments; Customized calendars; Sharing crayons. INSET: Top organization tips contest!..

Discusses how sixth-grade teacher Wayne Bacer integrates music into the curriculum with the help of the CD-ROM Microsoft Musical Instruments. Investigation of students' heritage; Use in studying levers and gears; Exploration of musical careers; Development of thinking skills by listening and analyzing hit songs.

Offers advice to teachers on how to motivate uninterested students. Extension activities to strengthen abilities to describe feelings; How to turn kids who seem content to do the bare minimum into kids who crave learning; Improving students' attitudes.

Presents an excerpt from Kevin Henkes' book `Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse' and invites grade level students to write endings on several story ideas.

Presents excerpts of endings from several children's books. `The Daydreamer,' by Ian McEwan; `This Quite Lady,' by Charlotte Zolotow; `Math Curse,' by Jon Scieszka.

Features the Tegrity Presentation Station system. Components of the system; Demonstration of the system's use in teaching; Key specifications.

Features several resources for celebrating Earth Day 1994 in school. `It's Our World, Too!,' by Phillip Hoose; `Save the Earth: An Action Handbook for Kids,' by Betty Miles; `E for Environment,' by Patti Sinclair.

Offers tips on how to save time on Internet surfing. Includes writing electronic mail offline; Use of computer software that lets users download sites to their desktops.

Presents filtering software to provide a safe Internet environment for children. Restriction of Web sites using Net Nanny; Setting of time limits in surfing the Net using Cyber Patrol; InterGo as a research tool for children.

Presents guidelines on using the Internet. Evaluation of connection problems; Commands for managing electronic mail; Time management for loading Web sites.

Reports on the Gayle Spinell-Gellers's students participation in MayaQuest '96, an interactive bicycle expedition, via a modem. Comments from Spinell-Gellers. INSET: Choose your own adventure..

Describes how Pam Mohrmann, a sixth-grade teacher at Dow's Prairie School in McKinleyville, California used movies to inspire students to write an effective story ending.

Suggests books, quotes and discussion starters to help grade level students write story endings.

Looks at several story endings of Charlotte Zolotow's children's books. `William's Doll'; `This Quite Lady'; `The Old Dog'; `I Know a Lady'; `Big Sister and Little Sister'; `Over and Over.'

Profiles author Kevin Henkes. definition of a good story ending: Books written.

Describes former teacher turned magazine editor, Adam Berkin's technique of using `kickers' paragraphs to conclude stories.