The first four articles of the Spring, 1981 issue of this journal focus on aspects of vocabulary instruction in elementary schools. The first article provides teachers with a sourcebook for teaching vocabulary. Weaknesses in vocabulary instruction and specific activities for developing vocabulary in depth, including questioning strategies, techniques utilizing semantic space, and structural analysis, are identified. Exemplary introductory lessons based on Osgood's categories of meaning responses are provided. Word origin, word play, word cues, vocabulary reinforcement exercises in content areas, learning stations and learning centers are also discussed. In the second article, techniques and guidelines for vocabulary development activities with children who absorb vocabulary auditorily are given. The third article describes a sixth-grade teacher's use of vocabulary exercises that were based on colorful words associated with current events. The fourth article provides a vocabulary instruction evaluation scheme that includes four dimensions of vocabulary type and four methods of teaching vocabulary. The final two articles present discussions of (1) research findings concerning creativity in young children, and (2) the educational needs of rural areas of the United States. (Author/RH)