Explored the relationship between the developmental appropriateness of kindergarten classroom instruction and first-grade overall and individual subject area reading test averages. Found that first graders from more appropriate kindergarten classrooms had higher reading averages than children from less appropriate kindergarten classrooms. Gender…

Examined the extent of extra-year programs for kindergarten students in Texas school districts; identified procedures and curricular interventions; and established the growth trend of these classes statewide. Found that 39% of the 285 school districts responding had transition classes, and the trend for the state at-large appeared to be one of…

Tested the effects on achievement of the High/Scope K-3 Curriculum. Found that the High/Scope Follow through children scored significantly better on achievement tests than they would have in regular classes without this program. However, the evaluation was incomplete in that such tests do not assess important High/Scope K-3 Curriculum goals. (WP)

Identified the work-related problems perceived by public school prekindergarten teachers. Found 37 problems that occurred significantly more frequently than others. The global areas perceived to be of most concern included parent relationships; discipline; program requirements; student success; time; classroom personnel; affiliation; and…

Assessed first- and fifth-grade teachers' perceptions of student retention. Found an unwritten policy among teachers advocating retention of students as beneficial. Respondents believed that retention improved academic performance or facilitated student growth and increased learning success. Results suggest a serious gap between research…

Reports on a study of 128 talented singers, ages 8-11, to determine the effects of age, sex and melodic/harmonic patterns on pitch-matching skills of children. Finds no significant differences between age and sex groups and significant differences among pitch-matching tasks. Suggests a task hierarchy for children's part-singing. (CFR)

Reports on a study of verbal behaviors of 25 piano teachers in private lessons. Finds significant differences resulting from student age in presentation of musical information, teacher talk, teacher coaching, and student participation. Also finds that student perceived as "average" received significantly more directive comments. (CFR)

Reports on a study of 50 undergraduate nonmusic majors to determine the relationship between world music preferences and multicultural attitudes. Finds support for the view that social/cultural attitudes play a role in world music preference. Discusses implications of the study for music teachers. (CFR)

Reports on a study of student preference for musical instruments over 3 decades in 600 elementary, secondary, and colleges. Finds that gender-based segregation has increased at the high school and college level, but findings at the elementary level are inconclusive. (CFR)

Reports on a study of young children's abilities to discriminate between two chords played as the accompaniment of a melody and played alone with no melody. Finds that age, type of stimulus, and the interaction of these two variables affected children's performance significantly. (CFR)

Discusses duality between process and concept in mathematics, ambiguity of symbolic notation, and flexibility in thought processes of successful students. Content analysis and empirical evidence suggest a qualitatively different kind of mathematical thought in more able compared to less able elementary students (n=72) in arithmetic. (Contains 42…

Reports on a study in which (n=40) fifth graders solved and retold one-step compare word problems. Students performed better, had shorter response times, and retold problems correctly more frequently on consistent-language problems than on inconsistent-language problems. (Contains 36 references.) (MKR)

Reports a case study exploring how 2 16-year olds were enabled to capitalize on the potential of errors to stimulate and support mathematical inquiry. Discusses variations within the strategy of using errors to enhance mathematics instruction. Appendix includes list of instructional episodes and error activities. (Contains 56 references.) (MKR)

Reports on conceptual understanding and solution strategies for percent problems of (n=31) students representing 2 ability levels from grades 5, 7, 9, and 11. Strategies evolved from intuitive to formal and increased in diversity with increasing age. Appendix includes concept and computation interview questions. (Contains 15 references.) (MKR)

Studied relationships between intended, implemented, and tested curricula of (n=84) classes of eighth-grade mathematics students based on data from the Second International Mathematics Study (SIMS). Analysis indicated the SIMS test for eighth graders was not representative of curriculum defined by students' texts. (Contains 22 references.)…