Inner-city families with babies received books under Project Bookstart. Follow-up of 41 children in their first year of school showed that, compared with 41 who did not participate in the project, participants were significantly farther ahead in six measures of literacy and numeracy. (SK)

Review of research on school and teacher effectiveness in literacy identified a core of best practices. However, potential conflicts between the findings and present educational policies, particularly in the areas of context specificity and classroom level, raise some concerns. (SK)

A study of schools in two English local education authorities found that time spent teaching Shakespeare increases in Year 9 now that the National Curriculum mandates testing on Shakespeare. However, restrictions on the choice of plays is limiting teaching methods and diminishing student learning and enjoyment of the subject. (SK)

Three pieces of writing were collected from 36 adolescent girls in each of three years to test writing-development scales measuring idea development, language use, and audience awareness. The scales were easy to apply in the classroom and capable of assessing students of varied disabilities. (SK)

Grade 11 students analyzed direct, indirect, and free indirect speech in texts before and after eight classroom activities based on Critical Language Awareness. The activities influenced marked improvement in their ability to critically read reported speech. (SK)

Analysis of the discourse styles of 10 British teachers of English showed that teacher-led recitation was the dominant practice, though it imposed linguistic and cognitive constraints on students. This practice follows the transmission model rather than the constructivist model of learning. (SK)

A review of literature on nutrition education and eating disorders suggests that some school health promotion practices may influence children's obsession with body weight and food. Health education should include a broader perspective of the psychological aspects of body image and self-concept. (SK)

A study of 1,795 Belgian elementary students in 15 public and 25 Catholic schools indicated that Catholic schools influenced high academic achievement in children of low socioeconomic status to a greater degree than public schools did. (SK)

According to a survey of student teachers (39 in science 38 in history or English), 90% of the science student teachers claimed that 50% of their teaching was in topics outside their subject area and that they experience low self-confidence and difficulty. In contrast, 44% of nonscience student teachers never taught outside their subject area. (SK)

The British National Curriculum for teacher training in English uses a model of literacy that assumes all children have access to the same schooling. It ignores the need for understanding the social processes of literacy. It fails to address the implications of a culturally "neutral" curriculum for learners from minority cultures. (SK)

Interviews with a small sample of British teachers indicated the following: too little time spent teaching about the Holocaust; the Holocaust used largely as context for understanding World War II; teachers lacking perception of it as unique; and lack of clarity about the cognitive and affective goals of such instruction. (SK)

Discusses universal Web accessibility in light of U.S. legislation that required all Web sites receiving federal funds to meet accessibility directives by the spring of 2001. Provides clarification of the accessibility statutes, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and offers resources and information to assist in successfully…

Addresses assistive technology concepts as they relate to education. Provides an overview of the NCATE (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education) and ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) guidelines concerning assistive technology and proposes a model for a course concerning assistive technology and universal…

Discussion of distance learning focuses on access, legal, and policy issues for people with disabilities and presents an overview of design considerations for assuring that a distance learning course is accessible to potential instructors and students with a wide range of abilities and disabilities. Uses universal design as a framework.…

Discusses Web design for people with disabilities and outlines a process-based approach to accessibility policy implementation. Topics include legal mandates; determining which standards apply to a given organization; validation, or evaluation of the site; site architecture; navigation; and organizational needs. (Author/LRW)