An increasingly important element of the learning journey for children around the world is the vital role school libraries play in supporting literacy, health, and wellbeing, as well as improving attainment across the curriculum. The Scottish Government established the School Library Improvement Fund (SLIF) administered by the Scottish Library and…

The paper intends to discuss India's humane cultural traditions and its animal protection laws, justify the current need for humane education in Indian schools and preschools, offer examples of humane education curriculum ideas, and highlight the work of animal welfare organizations in India. Since ancient times, reverence and compassion for…

Reforms in K-12 science education and their implications for PreK teaching, make this a critical time for developing a unified vision for early childhood science education. The goal of this essay is to provide a vision of what it might look like to leverage the best of both early childhood and K-12 science education reform efforts for meaningful…

Today's PK-12 teachers and students navigate an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world. This growing interconnectedness and need to navigate life and work in our globalized world have prompted calls for teacher educators around the world to design changes in coursework that inspire teachers to create learning experiences to foster…

Central values promoted in a national curricula are often uncontested (Arnot, Hopman, & Molander, 2007; Colnerud, 2004; Popkewitz, 2009). Therefore, a critical understanding of these values is crucial, as is an understanding of how students are affected by interpretations of certain values as fundamental. The aim of this study is to cast light…

Inclusive education in the Dutch education system has achieved new meaning in the last decade or so. Until 1998, the Netherlands recognized 19 types of special education. Then, two Educational Acts were passed, in 1998 and 2003, that decreased the types of special education by including measures to enhance inclusion of students with special…

Reviews three computer software programs for classroom use: Muppet Word Book, for children three to six; Dragon Game Series, on parts of speech, for students in grades four through high school; and Chemistry Achievement I, for students who are 16 to 18 years old, or in grades 10 to 12. (BB)

Introduces this theme issue's articles, which provide a variety of frameworks for understanding and action in relation to the crisis in child and adolescent mental health. Further emphasizes the challenge to provide resources for all children and to provide ideas for the integration of information between education and mental health professionals.…

Presents a short biography of Helen Heffernan, who is remembered for her years of service in the California State Department of Education, during which she developed educational programs that significantly influenced public education at every level. Heffernan developed programs for rural education, progressive education, kindergarten and preschool…

Reviews research on children's and adolescents' knowledge, feelings, and fears about nuclear war. Offers suggestions for teachers who wish to address children's and adolescents' concerns about nuclear war. (Author/BB)

This article focuses on the relevance of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education for science knowledge and content standards for the preK-12 student population. The article includes: (1) a summary of key concepts; (2) a description of the science curriculum standards for K-3 in the United States; and (3) an example of an in-depth…

Reviews contents of the Fall/Winter 1989 edition of JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. Topics include: differences in the psychosocial work environment of schools; possession and exchange of materials in Chinese and American preschools; primary education in Nigeria; exemplary grade 1 mathematics teaching; and priorities for kindergarten…

Reviews research studies on gender inequity in schools, finding problems in teachers' practices, unequal access to entire curriculums as early as the preschool years, and gender inequities in participation in after-school activities. Calls for teachers, teacher educators, and administrators to make gender fairness a priority in the total education…

The article compares Part B of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L. 94-142) of 1975 with Part H and argues that the similar meanings of "appropriate educational services" and "least restrictive environment" under both parts support efforts to integrate infants and toddlers with disabilities. (Author/DB)

This paper argues that cognitive referencing (which compares skills to cognitive level rather than to chronological age standards), used to determine children's eligibility for special language and motor services, is not consistent with current theoretical formulations. It also lacks empirical evidence for validity and results in exclusion of…