Gendered Readings: Helping boys develop as critical readers

ABSTRACT This paper reports recent findings from a national survey of the reading habits of boys and girls aged 10, 12 and 14. Boys' reading habits are considered in the light of concerns about boys' underachievement in school, and in relation to girls' reading and changing patterns of literacy over time. The authors argue that helping boys develop as critical readers involves taking their voluntary reading seriously and rejecting deficit models. The paper argues that boys need to be encouraged to understand how they have been socially constructed as readers; they need to be engaged in discussion about their reading and the implications of the choices they make. It is only by taking differences seriously that critical and discerning readers will bedeveloped, and critical readers are necessary to undermine current highly gendered reading practices which potentially disadvantage both sexes.     

The Relationship of Counselor Self-Actualization To Counselor Facilitativeness

After completing the Personal Orientation Inventory, 32 counselors-in-training each conducted a half-hour counseling session with one of 32 volunteer clients. Following the session, clients and counselors filled out the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory, indicating how encouraging the counselor had been. Correlational analyses found that in general, counselor trainees who viewed themselves as more self-actualized were not perceived by clients or by themselves as being more encouraging. Specific elements of self-actualization however (awareness of self, others, and the nature of man) were related to facilitative conditions.     

Equalizing Opportunity: Training Indigenous Personnel as Mental Health Counselors

Traditional counseling and clinical programs have been reluctant to train lay counselors. The innovative program described in this article was designed to assist disadvantaged adults in obtaining credentials to qualify for a professional position. Unlike traditional students, TIP (Training Indigenous Persons) students were admitted to graduate level courses in mental health counseling on criteria other than their past academic record. Results supported the recent focus on variables related to candidates' success as counselors, rather than on their previous academic performances.     

Review of Research on Practicum Supervision

This six-year review of research on practicum supervision examines articles in terms of findings and the research designs employed. Research is classified according to (a) counselor—supervisor similarity, (b) training methods, and (c) evaluation. Conclusions from the review indicate: (a) the investigators found no support for matching counselors and supervisors according to similar traits; (b) there was some support for modeling, didactic, and experiential methods; (c) there was some support for peer supervision; and (d) an experimental design was used in only 4 of the 19 studies examined.     

Not Yet Identified: The knowledge,skills, and training needs of early years professionals in relation to children's speech and language development

This article draws on a research project, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, looking at early years professionals' knowledge about speech and language development and their confidence and skills in assessing normal and delayed language development. Key findings, based on 829 questionnaires and 50 interviews, reveal very limited training in speech and language difficulties as part of initial training and low levels of post-qualification training in children's speech and language. Practitioners are aware of the need for early identification of children's communication difficulties but lack the tools with which to perform this identification. In order to provide a context for these results, a content analysis of the curricula from a variety of initial training routes explored the extent to which there was a focus explicitly on assessment and identification of children with speech and language difficulties. The role of professional journals and key texts in supporting practitioners in making judgements about children's language development was also investigated. The access to, and provision of, post-qualification training to support the assessment process is identified as a key area for development.     

What pedagogical approaches can effectively include children with special educational needs in mainstream classrooms? A systematic literature review

This article reports on a three‐year systematic literature review funded by the UK Training and Development Agency for Schools. In order to begin to answer the question posed by the title of this article, the researchers systematically reviewed the literature with reported outcomes for the academic and social inclusion of pupils with special educational needs. This review process led to a focus upon peer‐group interactions, the nature of teacher and pupil interactions and whole‐class, subject‐based pedagogies. This series of reviews highlights that within the complexities of a diverse mainstream classroom teachers' effectiveness is strongly influenced by their recognition of their responsibility for all learners and the centrality of social interaction to learning, as well as having a shared understanding of characteristics, skills and knowledge associated with a subject. It is also strongly influenced by a facility to plan for and to encourage participation in a communal learning experience through flexible groupings and roles, offering diverse opportunities to engage with concepts and practices using activities the learner finds meaningful. Effective practices are not about the teacher alone, but are rooted in the community of learners – including other practitioners – with whom they work.