The developer of the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth Program (SMPY) recounts his impressions during a tour of education programs in the People's Republic of China, addressing the apparent love of learning, emphasis on mathematical achievement, scholarly activities of university faculty, and testing issues. (CB)

Educational research on gender has expanded beyond biological differences to the study of social interactions, during which individuals construct gender-related achievement differences. Much of the focus is on women's participation in mathematics, science, and technology and their life patterns. Future research should concern autonomous learning…

Use of the term "acceleration" to describe interventions to enhance children's intellectual potential is inappropriate, as the term cannot by justified from the standpoint of mental measurement, mental growth, genetics, or education. Maximizing a child's potential through creation of stimulating environments is recommended rather than…

Reprint of Corey's classic satire written in the first person of a student who is discussing his overview of his educational experiences in elementary school. From a seventh grader's perspective, the article speaks sensitively and clearly to the dynamics underpinning the dichotomy between a student operating within a rigid academic structure and…

Points out, by citing a recently completed longitudinal study at the University of Iowa, that children are more likely to discover how reading works and make it work for them if the book is not too hard. (EL)

Reports on a study that investigated which of four modes of reading (oral reading to an audience, oral reading to oneself, silent reading, silent reading while listening) best facilitates fifth-grade students' comprehension. Concludes that for these students as a whole, comparable comprehension may be expected when they read to themselves or read…

Replicates a 1977 study and reaches similar conclusions: specifically, that schematic interpretations have a high relationship to prior knowledge. (FL)

Reaffirms the relationship between classification and reading and supports the emphasis on the substrata factor theory on classification and superordination in particular. (FL)

Concludes that structure of topic makes a difference in writing quality, fluency, and total error but not in any error ratio. Suggests that, for placement testing, educators should first decide which types of students they wish to identify, because each topic structure distinguishes low, average, and high ability students differently. Topic…

Concludes that sixth-grade students taught with methods that used a structured overview to activate background knowledge, the cloze procedure to develop an inferential thinking strategy, and a self-monitoring checklist to maintain the strategy increased their inferential comprehension skills as measured by both immediate and delayed transfer…

This paper examines Lev Vygotsky's theory concerning the zone of proximal development (ZPD) in children and its relevance to early childhood education. As per Vygotsky's "Mind in Society" (1978), ZPD is the difference between a child's "actual development level as determined by independent problem solving" and the…

A street-wise boy and a school volunteer survive the dawning of adolescence and even manage some progress in reading. (Editor)

Describes a technique that used ambiguously drawn pictures of scenes depicting various aspects of the reading process to elicit imaginative reactions by fifth-grade boys. Results suggest that the high achieving readers had significantly more positive attitudes toward reading than did low achieving readers. (FL)

Uses Erikson's five stages of psychosocial development to examine the socialization of athletes. Because athletic ability is so heavily rewarded by adults and peers, athletes may prematurely commit themselves to unrealistic objectives and aspirations. Concerned counselors can help athletes define realistic educational and career goals. (JAC)