This collection of 20 essays by 21 authors presents teaching methods and resource material promoting productive school experiences for American Indian students. The chapters are organized into five sections. The opening chapter of section 1 emphasizes that teachers must understand and respect the cultures and backgrounds of their students, an attitude essential to a bilingual and multicultural approach to Indian education. Other chapters in this section (1) outline the historical background of Indian education; (2) discuss tribal language policies and the ingredients of a successful bilingual program; and (3) examine multicultural education goals and the value of cultural relativism for minimizing ethnocentrism and eliminating racism. Section 2 (1) describes the stages of oral language development and the role of the first language in second language development; (2) provides practical suggestions for teaching English as a second language; (3) discusses necessary elements for reading comprehension; and (4) presents a whole-language approach to language arts. A section on teaching Indian literature discusses the inadequacies of basal reading textbooks, examines the use of storytelling in the classroom, provides a motif bibliography, and lists sources of culturally appropriate books for different grade levels. Section 4 makes specific suggestions for teaching social studies, science, mathematics, and physical education to Indian students. The final section discusses the parents' role as first teachers, a positive working relationship between parents and teachers, theories concerning self-efficacy, and means to empower Indian students. (SV)