Effects of Computerized Instruction on the Use of Punctuation Strategies by Students with LD

An interactive multimedia software program was developed for teaching punctuation strategies and then tested with middle‐school and high‐school students with learning disabilities. Students at each school level were randomly selected into an experimental or control group. Results showed that experimental students at both school levels performed similarly by earning significantly higher scores on a test of punctuation usage than the control students. Additionally, experimental students in both school cohorts inserted significantly fewer incorrect punctuation marks than the controls. Furthermore, the experimental students generalized their use of the strategies to a test where they wrote their own sentences. Thus, this study shows that students with LD can learn punctuation strategies at a high level of mastery and can generalize their skills to sentence editing and sentence construction tasks when taught through interactive multimedia.     

Reading attitudes and reading interests of urban intermediate grade students

The Survey of Reading Attitudes and the Bundy Reading Preference Survey were administered to 130 fourth- and fifth-grade students enrolled in an urban school with a student body that is representative of the student population of the city. The total score of the Bundy Reading Preference Survey resulted in a significant moderate correlation with the Reading as Enjoyment Dimension of the Survey of Reading Attitudes. This correlation contributes to the construct validity of both measures.     

Chemical degradation of a paraffin wax-based binder used in granular composite sport surfaces

Chemical changes in high-oil wax-based binders used in Thoroughbred horse racing synthetic surfaces are studied over a 7-year period in an effort to understand the effect of changes in the binder on track behavior. A wax or polymer binder is used to hold the sand, fiber, and rubber constituents together in addition to creating a hydrophobic coating on the sand. The binder was extracted from bulk samples obtained from sampling of a racetrack surface at the same location on a single racetrack. During the 7 years, the material components of the track were not altered nor was material added, although normal maintenance including daily harrowing and annual tilling was performed. The binder was separated via solvent extraction from the samples. Differences in chemical composition were determined through oil extraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gas chromatography (GC-FID), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Results show chemical changes in the binder resulting from oxidation of the oil in the wax, as well as changes in wax molecular structure. The goal of this work is to better understand how the binder changes over time to help guide maintenance and replacement decisions. Other potential changes to the surface materials can include the addition of oil stabilizers and binder replenishment. If the time interval between surface replacements can be extended, it would enable racetracks to provide a consistent and potentially safer racing surface at a lower cost.     

Assessment of alcohol and other drug abuse with referred adolescents

Adolescents with alcohol or other drug problems may be referred to school psychologists for assessment and demonstrate symptoms similar to handicapping conditions such as learning disabilities or emotional disturbance. Therefore, school psychologists have a need for assessment techniques to determine the probablity that referred adolescents have alcohol or other drug problems. In this paper, prereferral questionnaires, initial interviews, behavioral observations, and assessment devices are discussed. Suggestions are made for referring substance-abusing adolescents.     

Partially plastic thick-walled tubes

A theory is presented for the partial plastic yielding of thick-walled cylindrical tubes acted upon by any combination of internal pressure, external pressure and end load when the material follows an arbitrary stress-strain law. The solution combines (a) the distortion energy theory of plastic flow and (b) the effects of elastic compressibility of the plastic material.Numerical values for stresses and strains are given for certain special cases of internal pressure in thick-walled open-ended tubes for an idealized stress-strain law, and the results are compared with earlier approximate theories.     

PRESCHOOL CHILDREN'S INTEREST,SOCIAL–EMOTIONAL SKILLS,AND EMERGENT MATHEMATICS SKILLS

This cross‐sectional study examined the relationship between interest, social–emotional skills, and early math skills in preschool children. Math‐specific interest and global interest in learning were measured using teacher report and a play‐based observation task. Math skills were assessed with a test of math achievement, and social–emotional skills were assessed using a teacher‐report measure. Children with higher global interest in learning, math‐specific interest, and observed goal‐directed play demonstrated higher math skills. Furthermore, social‐emotional skills were associated with global interest in learning and math skills, but not with math‐specific interest. Overall, findings support the relevance of interest and social‐emotional skills for school readiness in young children.