A study of kindergarten children used three language-eliciting situations to obtain stories. The stories were compared for fluency, vocabulary, descriptive nature, and story structure. Results indicated that stories elicited without the use of a prop were more fluent and reflected a more sophisticated story structure than those elicited by a…

Caldecott Medal Award picture books were examined to determine whether the pictures and text presented children with stereotypical or gender-dependent sex-role behaviors. The books examined showed that sex-role stereotyping has decreased over time but still remains prevalent in each of the 11 categories used to evaluate the books. (TJQ)

Updated previous research on how gender is being presented in award-winning picture books for young children by replicating a study conducted by Collins, Ingoldsby, and Dellmann in 1984. This study also extended the research design used in the prior investigation by examining the books for portrayal of both androgyny and cultural diversity. (TJQ)

Explored the interrelations between cultural-familial factors such as socioeconomic status, ethnicity, family structure, and parental behavior and measures of metacognitive and academic performance in 154 second-grade children. Findings corroborated assertions that theories emphasizing racial differences in cognitive and metacognitive functioning…

Draws attention to the potentially harmful effects of evaluating children's friendships on what are often negative outcomes, rather than on the efforts that children make to effectively negotiate their friendships. Describes a study of children's friendships in a fifth-grade, culturally diverse class in a large urban elementary school, revealing…

Reviews the research presented in this issue and its implications for classroom practice. The topics include sex-role stereotyping and cultural diversity in award-winning picture books for children; children's storytelling; parent involvement and quality of day care; cultural-familial predictors of children's metacognitive and academic…

Describes how the outdoor education program in Waterloo County (Ontario) has become an important component of the school system by developing a sound philosophy, staying abreast of educational trends, implementing professional development, providing data on the value of outdoor education, developing community partnerships, and initiating projects…

Proposes that educational change can be an opportunity for teachers to grow professionally and become reenchanted with (committed to) outdoor education. This process requires that outdoor teachers examine the content of their teaching and evaluate their personal and professional characteristics. Includes a fable illustrating possible outcomes of…

During a walk, an outdoor education teacher reflects on the status of outdoor education in Ottawa (Canada) and importance of maintaining a close relationship with nature. He looks for signs of an old log home site, observes a hawk's flight, discovers remains of a plastic bag in an owl pellet, and realizes that everyone is working on survival. (LP)

Once the function of an outdoor educational facility has been determined, a site inventory should examine the site's physical characteristics, soil types, vegetation, water resources, and wildlife. Provides suggestions on maximizing usage of the site while minimizing detrimental effects of site development and long-term environmental damage. (LP)

Strategies from "What Color Is Your Parachute," a book providing guidance for job hunters, can be adapted to promote outdoor education as a valuable and integrated methodology for all subject areas. Strategies include reaching a consensus on what defines outdoor education and implementing research examining the values of outdoor education. (LP)

An ethnographic study of high school seniors in a small rural midwestern high school revealed that, although there was a lack of direct parent and community involvement, the small cohesive class of 30 students constructed a school culture that promoted participation, cooperation, high expectations, and academic achievement. (LP)

A survey of students in 179 Missouri high schools found that rural, male, and minority students watched more television than their counterparts; that rural students' perceptions of environmental safety impacted the length of television watching; and that the difference in viewing time between white and minority students was smaller in rural areas…

Teachers in rural West Virginia who had completed a Foxfire training course reported that they involved students to a greater extent in the design and participation of learning activities, especially in the use of discussions, peer teaching, and planning units of instruction. Teachers also reported incorporation of the community in the learning…

Research reveals that high school students in small schools participate more in extracurricular activities than their peers in large schools; that a high degree of student participation provides opportunities for enhancing leadership, responsibility, and motivation; that students in small schools feel needed; and that the benefits of…