A new approach to the assessment of children's mathematical competence

The report is a translation of part of a Swedish paper entitled “On Students' Achievement in Mathematics after Finishing Comprehensive School”. The intention of the investigation was to

- diagnose the retention of some basic skills in some topics in algebra and geometry,

- reveal difficult steps in the learning processes in these topics.

Starting with a complicated question, e.g. the equation \(\frac{{3x - 2}}{2} = \frac{x}{3}\) a sequence consisting of 5–15 problems were constructed. Each new problem followed by the preceding one by taking away one or two details. \(\begin{gathered} 3(3x - 2) = 2x \\ {\text{ 9}}x - 6 = 2x \\ {\text{ 7}}x - 6 = 0 \\ {\text{ 7}}x = 6 \\ \end{gathered} \) is an example of a sequence belonging to the equation above. From about 10 complicated problems (“top-items”) and their sequences, in all 130 items, 10 sub-tests were put together in such a way that the pupils who took the test were not aware of the sequences but found no connection between the problems. Many surprising results were found, e.g., that the students scored higher on 14/(x+2)=2 than on 4/x=3, that the difficulty in finding the area of a triangle depended on the position of the triangle and that the problems “Simplify a/a ², a²/a, a/a” were of quite unequal difficulty. A discussion about the students' thinking in patterns and mechanically learning ends the report.     

Representations of deaf characters in children's picture books

Picture books can influence how children perceive people of different backgrounds, including people with disabilities whose cultures differ from their own. Researchers have examined the portrayal of multicultural characters with disabilities in children's literature. However, few have specifically considered the portrayal of deaf characters, despite increased inclusion of deaf characters in children's literature over the past two decades. The present study analyzed the portrayal of deaf characters in picture books for children ages 4-8 years. A content analysis of 20 children's picture books was conducted in which the books were analyzed for messages linked to pathological and cultural categories. Results indicated that these books did not portray Deaf characters from a cultural perspective but, rather, highlighted aspects of deafness as a medical condition, one that requires fixing and that perpetuates stereotypes of deafness as a disability.     

"学而有疑"论析

“学而有疑”作为读书学习的一种基本思想和方法,是大学师生应该熟悉并贯穿于实践中的学习常识,也是创新型人才必备的学习意识和习惯。其基本内涵为:学应有疑,疑而有据,疑而为真,疑而弥高,疑而能释。其中的“疑而为真”和“疑而弥高”,为学习中应该特别注意的问题。     

师道辨析

师道是我国历史形成的概念,在职业社会形成以前与职业社会形成以后,师道的含义有别。师道与师德是不同的概念,师德就其本义来说,代替不了师道。     

A comparative study of children's concentration performance on picture books: age,gender, and media forms

The reading development of children depends on various sensory stimuli, which help them construct reading contexts and facilitate active learning and exploration. This study uses sensory stimuli provided by picture books using various forms of media to improve children's concentration performance. We employ picture books using four forms of media: conventional picture books, pop-up books, talking books, and e-books. Children in young (Grade 3) and senior elementary school students (Grade 6) are recruited as participants. The NeuroSky MindBand (electroencephalogram) is used as a tool to measure children's concentration. The results indicate that children in Grade 3 express higher concentration and interest than children in Grade 6 in picture books, and the effect of gender is greater than that of grade on the level of concentration invested in the picture book media form and exhibits a significant interaction and effects on children's concentration performance. As a result, we suggest that talking books or e-books, which provide multisensory stimuli, should be selected for elementary school boys. In addition, talking books should be selected for girls in young elementary school students, while conventional books should be used for girls in senior elementary school students to avoid distraction caused by excessive media stimuli.     

Wordless books: An approach to visual literacy

This is a story about a bear named Goldilocks, and a family of people called The Three Bears. What I mean is that this story is sort of likeGoldilocks and the Three Bears, but the opposite. Get it? Well listen to my story and you'll understand.     

Access to local books: the effects of Read Malawi from a children's rights perspective

Children in low‐income, postcolonial countries such as Malawi have few opportunities with quality reading materials that promote independence as readers. In this study, we argue that access to locally produced text relevant to linguistic and cultural contexts is a fundamental human right for children throughout the world. Situating this study within the intersection of research on children's rights and complementary reading materials, we analyse data from a project in Malawi. We consider the ways in which a respect for children's educational rights – specifically, their rights to access information via children's books – can help them develop their biliteracy. Additionally, we examine how the Read Malawi program contributes to Malawian children's literacy development in both national and official languages. Our findings suggest not only a humanistic need for quality complementary books, but also the empirical justification for books in the hands of children; in particular, an interconnected relationship between borrowing books from school and engagement with Read Malawi was found, especially when we explore children's English proficiency. Through Read Malawi, this study exemplifies what a quality literacy intervention can do in supporting children's Chichewa and English proficiency and improving their rights to quality education.