With the ever-present demand of career and educational opportunities requiring a high level of math, Dr. David Chard offers instructional guidance for educators to ensure that students with disabilities can effectively learn mathematics. He provides tips for shaping math instruction to meet the needs of students with memory and conceptual difficulties, background-knowledge deficits, linguistic and vocabulary difficulties, and challenges using strategic learning.

Grants can be a great source of financial support for a variety of education initiatives, including special instructional programs, resource acquisitions, and professional development. Learn about different types of state and federal grants, how they work, and where to apply for them.

In the second part of a two-part article, Dr. John Pikulski and Dr. Shane Templeton share eight research-based methods for cultivating students' vocabulary.

Building a child's vocabulary early on is an important component of reading development. In the first part of a two-part article, Dr. John Pikulski and Dr. Shane Templeton explain the theories behind vocabulary acquisition.

In the process of learning to read, helping students develop their fluency is critical. Dr. John Pikulski and Dr. David Chard share practical ways for educators to help students master this important skill.

Developing reading comprehension skills is a complex cognitive procedure. Dr. Marjorie Lipson and Dr. J. David Cooper explain how children understand what they read and share effective ways to help them through the learning process.

Assessment, an important tool for making educational decisions, can take many forms. Dr. Sheila W. Valencia details various assessment strategies, and suggests ways for educators to implement their own systems of balanced assessments.

Mathematics professor Dr. Bruce Vogeli shares his advice for teachers on how to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the mathematics they teach and how to provide a practical understanding for their students. His strategies stem from decades of work with students and teachers, and are designed for experienced educators and novices, alike.

Teaching U.S. history can be daunting. For all its importance, however, young people tend to regard it as remote and uninteresting, and few of them gain new insight from their coursework. Mark Schug shares a different approach to engage students and give them a deeper understanding of U.S. history, starting with a new way of looking at the Revolutionary War.

Science and math teachers share their methods for engaging students in the classroom, from finding everyday connections to biology, to encouraging students to dig deeper after class with Internet discovery sheets, to building algebra toolkits that can serve as a reference for years to come.

When Reverend Eddie Rivero and his wife Maria opened their church doors in 1994, they wanted to bring dual-language families in their community together by forming a congregation with services in Spanish and English—but challenges still existed for these families at home and in school. To further support dual-language families, the Riveros launched the New Life afterschool program, which now supports more than two hundred children.

In an effort to break down barriers between special and general education, and to deliver high-quality curriculum, instruction, and assessment for all students, Birmingham Public Schools developed a strategy called Together for Kids.

Students who generally perform well in mathematics often have difficulties solving word problems. By the time they reach high school, most students will say that they hate word problems—and many dislike math as well. What can teachers do to transform their view so more students are successful in problem solving and encouraged to learn more mathematics?

Evidence that has accumulated over the last several decades has shown that most remedial programs have not been effective in helping below-level readers achieve success. There is serious need for reading intervention that helps below-level readers in grades three and above bring their reading up to level.

When teachers provide opportunities for daily and ongoing diagnostic assessments aligned with lesson objectives, and use the results of these assessments to modify instruction and support further student learning, students are more apt to master content and become more confident test-takers.

Issues associated with assessing the development of young children are related to philosophical differences among educators. Many good assessment tools exist for use in pre-primary and primary grades, and a need exists for information about student progress.

English Language Learners (ELL) not only face a language barrier in English, but also in the knowledge of the language of mathematics: its syntax, semantics, grammar, vocabulary, and representation. What can educators do in mathematics classrooms to help students whose first language is not English?

Schools are under increased pressure to identify gifted students from underrepresented groups. How should schools identify gifted minority students? Some schools have begun administering nonverbal selection tests. This article recommends an aptitude approach.

The Lewis and Clark expedition is a drama of adventure, courage, and success—the stuff of great history. Usually students learn about Lewis and Clark from only a history perspective. However, the Corps of Discovery is also a perfect model for an integrated social studies curriculum because it illustrates all the social studies strands: history, culture, civics, economics, and geography.

The everyday challenges of teaching and classroom management can be stressful. In fact, the ability to maintain a disciplined and ordered classroom has a direct effect on a teacher's ability to meet his or her instructional goals.

Student portfolios provide excellent opportunities for assessment when they are an integral part of classroom activities and used on an ongoing basis. To be the most effective, this approach requires at least six key steps.

Effective instructional planning has a significant impact on student achievement and is a hallmark of good teaching. However, balancing between preparation and flexibility in executing the plan is the real artistry of teaching.