Reviews articles from the "Journal of Research in Childhood Education" on the advantages of decreased teacher-student ratio, cross-cultural child development comparisons, developmentally appropriate classroom play, teacher choices related to observational schemes; cross-typed sexual roles and children's perception, and the positive effects of play…

Many families are in crisis and the effect on children is staggering. The three main stresses of children and families today are divorce and remarriage, violence, and lack of communication in families. Efforts must be made to avoid losing the greatest natural resource: families. (DG)

Briefly describes ERIC documents and journal articles that pertain to teaching in elementary and middle school. Teaching methods and characteristics of successful teachers are described. (DG)

What kinds of learning should be provided for a four- or five-year-old child who is beginning a school experience? First, he should have extended opportunity to explore the physical world. He should be helped to become increasingly sensitive to the world in which he lives. We want to provide full opportunity for doing and making. We want to…

Teachers can encourage youngsters to express their ideas creatively by providing help in three areas--content, language, and process. In terms of content, children often have few resources for tapping their thoughts, and may need 'pump primers' such as being told the beginning and end of a story and speculating about a variety of middles. Once…

Examines the school choice movement in the United States, which advocates claim will make schools more efficient by allowing parents to select the best schools for their children. Argues that the school choice movement is a surreptitious plan to gradually put the functions of public education in private hands, with public funds going to support…

Explains the causes and symptoms of four chronic diseases (asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, and sickle cell anemia) that afflict large numbers of children, and discusses specific classroom medical procedures that teachers can use to help children with these diseases. Also provides suggestions for working with parents of chronically ill children and…

Individuals should address prejudicial statements made in their presence by pulling the prejudice out of the comment and restating it in a calm and objective way; stating their own personal beliefs clearly and assertively; making a positive statement about the specific subjects of the prejudice; and gently turning the subject to a new direction.…

Reports on two educators' visits to Poland, Russia, and the Czech Republic between 1991 and 1993 and their observations on the early childhood educational systems in these countries. Examines the role of children and families, preschool education, curriculum, special needs children, and the training of kindergarten teachers in these countries.…

Notes that early childhood teachers need to encourage language and literacy development in a culturally responsive way, by acknowledging students' home culture, encouraging collaboration between students of different backgrounds, and setting the same standards of achievement for all students. Provides examples of culturally responsive learning…

Discusses a method for assessing, evaluating, recording, and reporting pupil progress in kindergarten classes. Describes how continuous assessment and evaluation becomes part of the instruction process, and is conducted through teacher logbooks, skills checklists, portfolio folders, and "pupil passport" folders forwarded to first-grade teachers.…

Provides examples of typical mathematics statements that elementary school teachers use when teaching mathematics, demonstrating how they are imprecise or incorrect. Suggests ways teachers can present ideas more clearly and precisely, noting that appropriate mathematical language should help students gain conceptual understanding, rather than…

Recounts a collaboration between an early childhood teacher educator and a kindergarten teacher in team-teaching an undergraduate early childhood education course. Discusses course activities initiated by the collaboration, including having the students keep journals of their learning experiences, a technique that allowed the instructors and…

Describes children's writing development, examines several general findings from recent research, and provides some examples of how these findings affect classroom practice for English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) bilingual programs. Emphasizes the use and acquisition of writing as a means of facilitating the development of a second language. (MDM)

Discusses the origins and current status of the team-teaching approach in elementary education, reviewing research that examines the benefits and drawbacks of this approach. Also reports on one teacher's experiences with team teaching. (MDM)