Topic: Elementary Education

Mandatory elementary-school violin classes are a hit

Mandatory violin classes at an Indiana elementary school teach dedication and self-confidence by partnering  young students with mentors and teachers from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.

Kids, educators debate recess plan that may prevent bullying

Kids and educators debate effectiveness of new, structured recess plan that may help prevent bullying and lead to safer schools. A new study shows conflicting opinions on the Playworks program.

FBI Most Wanted: Bin Laden replaced by child porn suspect

FBI Most Wanted: No. 1 on the Top 10 FBI Most Wanted list is now Eric Toth, a former third-grade teacher in Washington, D.C. The FBI is offering $100,000 for information leading to Toth's arrest.

Wonder

Can a child with a facial deformity make it through middle school? This beautiful novel for middle-grade readers tells the story of a remarkable boy who does more than survive. 

Teacher's pest, redeemed

He was wildly smart and witty but also picked fights and stole.

10 books for a good cry

Author Hallie Ephron recommends the best literary tear-jerkers.

State of the world: U.N. poverty-reduction goals on track

Part 4 of the surprisingly upbeat state of the world: U.N. global poverty-reduction goals are met.

Students in big-city schools show gains in latest NAEP 'report card'

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) National Report Card shows clear and positive trend lines for big-city schools, though the progress has been slow. 

Education report card: Flat reading scores are 'deeply disappointing'

Math scores inched up – barely – in the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), otherwise known as the 'nation’s report card.'

A test for America's reading skills in NAEP scores

Latest test scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reveal slow progress in reading skills since 1992. Fortunately, Congress may refocus the No Child Left Behind law on better teaching of literacy.

Back to school: Are we leaving gifted students behind?

Gifted students in US public schools can be overlooked and unappreciated. Parents, looking for better options, have begun to find some.

Gifted students shine when mined

High-potential students in Hartford, Connecticut show real promise when presented with educational opportunities at a recently opened academy.

A public school for the brightest

A Nevada public academy is making new inroads on working with gifted students and getting the most out of them.

Sherlock Holmes knocked off a school reading list

The Sherlock Holmes novel, "A Study in Scarlet," has been taken off the sixth-grade reading list in a Virginia high school.

Tribute to a red brick schoolhouse

Goodbye Abner Gibbs Elementary -- and your real-life Norman Rockwell world. A new, 'better' school for 600 kids will replace you. Sounds like a factory to me.

5 ways in which the "Harry Potter" magic lives on

There may not be any new books or movies to come, but the spirit of "Harry Potter" lives on – now a part of our culture in so many ways. Aside from re-watching and re-reading J.K. Rowling's work, avid fans have found various ways to incorporate the novels into their daily lives. Here are examples of five ways in which "Harry Potter" has infiltrated modern Muggle life. Some may surprise you!

Which is bigger: California or Los Angeles? Most fourth graders aren't sure.

Geography results from the National Report Card show that few students have a 'proficient' understanding of geography, as reading and math push social sciences out of the classroom.

Reader recommendation: The Death and Life of the Great American School System

Jobs-focused education leaves history in the dustbin

New test scores on history and civics reveal how little American students know their nation's past. Yet such knowledge is essential for active citizens.

The First Grader: movie review

Based on a true story, 'The First Grader' is an uplifting tale about a Kenyan ex-freedom fighter who finally gets to attend school in his 80s.

A third of high school seniors lack basic grasp of civics, US government

America's students are largely uninformed about the democratic process and US government, especially high school seniors, according to civics scores from the Nation's Report Card.

6 best children's books, as voted on by kids

It's Children’s Book Week 2011 and to celebrate 500,000 young readers across the US had a chance to vote for their favorite books. Here are the titles, authors, and illustrators that this year's record-breaking number of kid voters chose to honor as 2011 Children's Choice Awards winners.

Barack H. Obama elementary school to close

Barack H. Obama elementary: The New Jersey state monitor who oversees financial operations for the Asbury Park School District cited declining enrollment for the decision announced Thursday.