Researchers and teachers both overseas and in New Zealand are all but unanimous that children should be encouraged to read during and outside school hours. It would appear that New Zealand primary and intermediate teachers are making every attempt to encourage children to read at school. Most New Zealand primary ...

How much do your students read? Here is a quick way of finding out. Note: this TRT has been designed with New Zealand children in mind. An adaptation could be made for Australian readers, see the previous set item "Measuring Print Exposure in New Zealand Classrooms" for details, and notes.

An interpretation of the new curriculum framework from an assessment point of view.

Flexible seating arrangements to suit all types of learning.

From 1996 all schools will operate under a 4 term structure, unless they apply for a variation. Words of advice from a 4 term trial which will help schools prepare for the change and give pointers to those wishing to retain the status quo.

School computers can now provide very versatile and exciting ways for children to present cross-subject 'projects'. The learning, and what the teachers learnt too, was researched.

At a typical secondary school the researchers discovered how successful the presentation of the science curriculum in discrete separately assessed units of work is. And discovered the (unhappy) effects of the in-school assessment for a national examination.

The researchers had good reason to believe that teaching physics to young children would work best if children could rub their ideas against others. However, the ideas they are asked to investigate need to be in carefully designed work.

In four different countries, including our own, the same problems keep cropping up - children do not connect simple tasks, such as sharing, with the written fractions they meet in class. Research and good advice therefrom.

In 'A Day at the Races' in set No. 1 this year, it was shown that our ability to do complex mental tasks in real life does not depend on our IQ. But such knowledge does not transfer to strange situations until the similarities are shown to us.