RECENT American research suggests that “looping” - the practice of allowing primary teachers to follow their pupils from one year to the next - is a good thing. Time is saved by not having to learn new names and not having to settle a new class at the start of every year.
Joan Gaustad, who has produced a digest of research findings on this issue, reports that as much as a month’s extra work can be gained in the process.
Read it online at the website maintained by the Educational Resources Information Center (known to its friends as ERIC):
http:www.ed.govdatabasesERIC_Digestsed429330.html <> Jeanne Weiler, writing in the same batch of digests, reviews recent research on delinquent and violent girls. She focuses on the need to provide specific support that recognises that girls’ violence has different roots to boys’ violence.
Sexual abuse and male violence in the home are implicated in the problem.
Different kinds of support are required, but few resources are available.
The digest on violent girls is at: http:www.ed.govdatabasesERIC Digests ed43 00 69.html
Readers can e-mail suggestions for future Internet Insights to Sam Saunders at J.P.Saunders@leeds.ac.uk
