A discussion of how to use math manipulatives to teach elementary students focuses on essential program elements: what math manipulatives are and why they are used, common questions about math manipulatives, how one teacher introduced the geoboard into the classroom, and pattern block activities. (SM)

The article presents strategies used by elementary teachers from around the country to promote mathematics learning in the classroom. Their ideas include using manipulatives, participating in cooperative learning, keeping math journals, collecting portfolios, and reading literature that relates to math concepts in real life. (SM)

Presents 35 strategies for dealing with common challenges that may arise in the cooperative learning classroom. Challenges include children who cannot get along, who prefer to be alone, who are unmotivated, who cannot keep up, who finish first, who finish last, and who make too much noise. (SM)

Techniques are presented that can help teachers resolve conflicts that arise in the classroom. Strategies are outlined for working out differences among students or between the teachers and a student and for fostering cooperative attitudes among the children. (PP)

Outlines the views of three scholars on cooperative learning: cooperation in content areas (team-assisted individualization and cooperative integrated reading and composition); grading techniques (e.g., individual score plus group bonus points, group scores, and scoring only one member's paper); and structuring social interaction (round robin,…

Presents tips to help K-2 teachers get their students using technology, including: establish routines, pair students at the computer, make transitions to tie computer lab learning with classroom learning, time tasks, use peer-to-peer support, and use technology meaningfully in the classroom. Sidebars present hints for selecting computer resources…

Using recorded music in elementary classrooms encourages creative learning. The article offers ideas for using music in language arts and social studies; suggestions for using literature about children's songs to promote classroom unity; a model for using computers to integrate music, language, and art; and a guide to music resources. (SM)

Offers three simple strategies for storing and managing hands-on learning materials in the classroom. The strategies include a checklist of storage solutions for the materials, a description of creative hands-on learning centers, and a list of strategies for managing students' use of hands-on materials. (SM)

Seventy-one ideas for learning activities in the elementary school classroom are described. Activities are included in the areas of fine arts, mathematics, language arts, history, writing, listening skills, and science. (CJ)

Suggests that live plants can brighten up the classroom and can serve as the focus of interdisciplinary learning activities for elementary students. Briefly describes the organization of a "living laboratory" in an elementary school. (SJL)

Teachers can use animals in the classroom to stimulate observation skills and creative thinking. Several learning activities featuring animals are described, and tips are given on selection and care. A reproducible sheet for recording observations is included. (IAH)

Describes how technology helped one elementary teacher meet the needs and celebrate the strengths of all his students in a mixed-ability-grouped, student-centered classroom. Technology allowed the children many more choices for different kinds of learning and helped them develop their individual strengths. (SM)

Children learn best when given opportunities to connect facts and figures with real-world situations. The article describes two class projects that demonstrate authentic, holistic learning. One project involves planting a classroom garden, and the other explores the desert of the Southwest. (SM)

The article describes attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and how it affects learning, notes why whole language provides one of the best settings for students with ADHD, and discusses strategies for adapting the whole-language classroom to meet the needs of many different kinds of learners. (SM)

Describes how elementary teachers can set up meaningful guidelines to enhance the productivity of writing workshops. Writing workshops accommodate the idiosyncratic nature of individual writing and learning processes. They provide a highly structured environment with clear rules and procedures. The article explains how to establish classroom…