Analysis of focus group discussions, involving 21 family members (having young children with disabilities) and 19 professionals, identified issues associated with families' use of time in the area of needed supports and time as a constraint. Implications are discussed in relation to developing early intervention programs. (DB)

This survey, which obtained responses from 37 countries, concluded that there are more than 4,500 toy libraries in the world in 31 countries on all continents. Libraries include (1) community-oriented toy libraries; (2) lekoteks for children with special needs; (3) toy libraries as a cultural, social, and recreational center; and (4) toy lending…

The Infant Parent Social Interaction Code was developed to measure infant-parent interaction utilizing four parent variables, four infant variables, and one dyadic variable for which operational definitions were developed. Preliminary and validation studies with a total of 232 infants and toddlers suggest the measure reveals important interactive…

The debate among major theorists of the whole-language approach (Kenneth Goodman and Frank Smith) and their critics (e.g., Philip Gough) is summarized. It concludes that the Goodman/Smith theoretical position has not stood the test of time, though some of their instructional recommendations may be valid for other reasons. (Author/DB)

This paper describes adult literacy pedagogy and philosophy in Australia and reports on two studies of adult reading disabilities. The first study, with 102 asthma patients, showed important differences among different tests of reading comprehension. The second study, using 11 case studies, indicated the need to integrate adult literacy…

Studies and practices in which parents help children with oral reading are reviewed. The paper argues against techniques which focus on only the mechanical aspects of reading. The paper describes a program for training parents as tutors which uses transcripts of parent/child interactions during the reading process to show reading development.…

The Interactive Teaching Project was designed to test an instructional model to help students with learning disabilities comprehend content area concepts. This paper describes the theoretical model and the effective interactive teaching and learning strategies used, including semantic feature analysis, semantic mapping, and semantic/syntactic…

A study found that both paradigmatic and syntagmatic aspects of text were important for signifying meaning of text in the reading comprehension of 102 Australian students at 3 age levels (10, 12, and 14 years). Underlying comprehension problems was a lack of prior experience of text topics. Reading preparation through developing shared meanings is…

Discusses recent efforts to incorporate transferable "enterprise skills" into British higher education. Examines the role of geographers in the endeavor. Illustrates how a first-year geography course was adapted to a practical skills approach. Argues that enterprise skills are better incorporated into the existing curriculum and not taught as…

Discusses efforts by the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA) to develop introductory college level courses in geographic information systems (GIS). Explores a year-long evaluation of the curriculum development project. Describes the objectives, components, and results of the evaluation. (SG)

Discusses geography's place in the European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students (ERASMUS). Reports that geography plays a small part in ERASMUS, although the rate of the United Kingdom's participation in ERASMUS programs is high. Describes student and teacher mobility, curriculum development, and intensive ERASMUS…

Provides research findings concerning the musical instrument preferences of fourth grade students. Finds that, although gender associations with certain instruments have lessened, they remain noticeably present. Identifies drums, saxophone, and flute as the most popular instruments. Notes a moderate relationship between student perceptions of peer…

Offers conclusions of an analysis of undergraduate music education majors' perceptions of their occupational status. Reports that subjects placed themselves above others in 10 of 11 hypothetical situations. Suggests that elementary education majors more generally elevate themselves above others less frequently. Identifies sources of negative…

Presents study results dealing with student musical aptitude and achievement and the degree of parental involvement. Reports that 113 Pennsylvania wind instrumentalists were studied. Finds little correlation between parental involvement and performance achievement, musical achievement, or musical aptitude. Identifies a significant relationship for…

Describes outcomes of research into the ability to process and evaluate information about musical rhythm and pitch. Reports that the Pitch Rhythm Integration Measure (PRIM) is reliable and statistically the same across age groups. Concludes that there is a significant age-related increase in the importance of rhythm for novices' perceptual…