Childhood Education articles from December 2003

Childhood Education archives from December 2003

Engaging middle school parents, students, and teachers in a learning community: a case in point.
December 22, 2003... Learning may be defined as an interchange of ideas and experiences that are to be shared and to be the sources of some reflection. This sharing helps us validate the language, cultural differences, learning styles, and behavioral expectations...

It's all in the game.
December 22, 2003... Most members of today's younger generations are "masters of the game." My nephew, Bridge (age 8), and my great-nephews, Townsend (age 7) and Claiborne (age 6), are no exception. They sit down at my computer and quickly fly through "Harry Potter...

Music makes math meaningful.
December 22, 2003... Today, everything seems to be interconnected. In the education community, "interdisciplinary" teaching is the latest buzzword. While good early childhood teachers have been teaching in an interdisciplinary manner for years, there is one...

Building better human connections: parenting/caring education for children and teens in school.
December 22, 2003... With today's focus on academics, many teachers believe they have little time to focus on affective education. Indeed, many educators warn us that rather than no child being left behind, "no child may be left whole" (Merrow, 2002). Brazelton and...

Linking reading, science, and fiction books.
December 22, 2003... Children's literature holds a distinct place in elementary class rooms as a tool for instruction (Galda & Cullinan, 2002). In fact, literature may be used in all curriculum areas to nurture children's desire to know and learn (Johnson &...

Listening to and learning with the next generation of teachers.(President's Message)
December 22, 2003... Dear Colleagues, Over the years, I have overheard and listened to the next generation of teachers talk about their worries and concerns as they study to become teachers in child care centers, nursery schools, and K-12 settings. Regardless...

NGOs and UNICEF.(From the Executive Director)
December 22, 2003... ACEI is one of more than 1,500 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) worldwide that are currently represented at the United Nations. We are proud to have consultative status with both the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Economic and...

Teaching citizenship and social responsibility.(Vice President's Vista)
December 22, 2003... Recently, some policymakers have begun to recognize the importance of civics and citizenship education. The North Carolina Legislature allocated funds in the 2003-05 budget to encourage every state high school to have elected student councils,...

An interview with Roy O. Schilling.(Public Affairs)(Interview)
December 22, 2003... At the 2003 ACEI Annual International Conference, attendees were asked to complete a survey that had been developed by the Public Affairs Committee. The purpose was to gauge members' interest in various education issues, review their...

Here a test, there a test, everywhere a test ...(Teacher Education)
December 22, 2003... Once upon a time, ACEI produced a policy statement advocating a ban on high-stakes, standardized testing for the primary grades. It appears that not enough people have read it. Once it was normal for school districts to administer some sort...

Synchronistic learning of native language and English.(International/Intercultural)
December 22, 2003... Many educators and parents still are not convinced whether children can use native language at home while learning English in school. They think immigrant children from Asian countries should not be allowed to speak their native language, and...

From the Presidents' Council.(Branches in Action)
December 22, 2003... The History of the President's" Council is on sale as a fundraising project for the Council. It introduces the early years of the Council and then goes into specific detail from 1975 to the present. For each year, readers will find a short...

Winning ways with Word Walls.(Classroom Idea-Sparkers)
December 22, 2003... Word Walls are organized collections of frequently used words, written in large bold letters and displayed in the classroom. Teachers and students use them as reference points for teaching, studying, and completing assignments. Originally, Word...

Starting a student branch of ACEI.(Program Exchange)
December 22, 2003... Starting an ACEI Branch can be a daunting task. I offer a few suggestions for advisers beginning a Student Branch on a university or college campus. Also remember that ACEI Headquarters offers guidance and start-up money, and the ACEI Branch...

Strategic plan 2003-04.
December 22, 2003... Association for Childhood Education International THE MISSION OF ACEI IS To promote and support in the global community the optimal education and development of children, from birth through early adolescence, and to influence the...

2003-04 ACEI member-get-a-member campaign.(Memberandum)
December 22, 2003... Surveys of ACEI members indicate that the primary reason why educators join and remain as members of the organization is to receive ACEI's award-winning journal, Childhood Education, and to support the Association's mission on behalf of...

Fundraising.(Student Slant)
December 22, 2003... Fundraising--it is the lifeblood of our student Branches, providing the fuel to propel us toward accomplishing our goals. I encourage each Branch to build up enough funds to become self-sufficient and be able to meet all of their goals in...

Teaching in troubled times, under difficult conditions.(Teaching Strategies)
December 22, 2003... In a past column, we wrote about our fascination with England and with British primary education, past and present (Grossman & Williston, 1999). As we visited English schools and spoke with friends there, we became interested in an event during...

Ten lessons I have learned from being Lydia's mom.(For Parents Particularly)(parenting a special needs child)
December 22, 2003... I have been the parent of a daughter with special needs for almost 10 years now; for seven of those years I also have been a single parent. Here I will share my "Top 10" list of things that lone parenting a child with developmental delays has...

Adler, David A. A Picture Book of Lewis and Clark.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Il. by Ronald Himler. ISBN 0-8234-1735-2. New York: Holiday House, 2003. Unp. $16.95. The author celebrates the upcoming bicentennial of the heroic explorations of Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who were chosen by Thomas Jefferson...

Arnosky, Jim All About Sharks.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Il. by author. ISBN0-5904-8166-5. New York: Scholastic, 2003. Unp. $15.95. Who hasn't wondered about sharks? With more than 100 children'sbooks about nature to his credit, Jim Arnosky adds yet another fascinating volume to his All About series....

Harrison, David L. Oceans: the Vast, Mysterious Deep.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Il. by Cheryl Nathan. ISBN 159078-018-3. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press, 2003. Unp. $15.95. This book explains how oceans were formed, how water recycles itself, and what the ocean floor looks like. We see how everything is interrelated and...

Lourie, Peter the Lost World of the Anasazi: Exploring the Mysteries of Chaco Canyon.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... ISBN1-56397-972-1. Boyds Mills Press, 2003.48 pp. $19.95. This full-color photo documentary explores the various theories about why the ancient Anasazi people, who lived in a remote area of New Mexico, vanished during the last half of the 13th...

O'Brien, Patrick Duel of the Ironclads: the Monitor vs. The Virginia.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Il. by author. ISBN 0-80278-842-4. New York: Walker & Company, 2003. 40 pp. $17.95. As the Civil War raged, President Lincoln tapped inventor John Ericsson to build an ironclad warship that could engage the Confederates' ironclad the Virginia...

Rose, Deborah Lee One Nighttime Sea.(Children's Review)(Book Review)(Brief Review)
December 22, 2003... Il. by Steve Jenkins. ISBN 0-439-33906-5. New York: Scholastic, 2003. Unp. $16.95. I knew I was in for something special when I saw the expressive otter on the cover of this dazzling counting book. The bright collage illustrations show the many...

Steig, William When Everybody Wore a Hat.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Il. by author. ISBN 0-06-009701-9. New York: Joanna Cotler Books, 2003. Unp. $18.89. This whimsically drawn autobiography of the award-winning artist as an 8-year-old invites readers of all ages to reflect upon their own everyday, emotionally...

Tang, Greg Math-terpieces: the Art of Problem-solving.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Il. by Greg Paprocki. ISBN0-439-388-1. New York: Scholastic,2003. 32pp. $16.95. The author creatively uses 12 artworks of diverse styles to make connections between mathematics and art. On one page, the reader finds an artwork with title,...

Bailey, Linda Stanleys's Party.(Children's Review)(Book Review)(Brief Review)
December 22, 2003... Il. by Bill Slavin. ISBN 1-55337-382-0. Tonawanda, N Y: Kids Can Press, 2003. 32 pp. Left alone by his "people" once too often, Stanley loses his canine mind, first lolling on the forbidden sofa, then blasting the stereo and eating food from...

Bloom, Suzanne No Place for a Pig.(Children's Review)(Book Review)(Brief Review)
December 22, 2003... Il. by author. ISBN1-59078-047-7. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press, 2003. Unp. $15.95. Miss Taffy collects pigs--statues of pigs, that is. Then she wins a pig in a radio contest, and when she goes to collect her prize she is shocked to see she...

Brown, Elizabeth Ferguson Coal Country Christmas.(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Il. by Harvey Stevenson. ISBN 1-59078-020-5. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press,2003. Unp. $15.95. The author skillfully weaves a tale of hardship in a mining town while also showing the simple joys of a close-knit family. The resulting fabric is...

Cote, Nancy It Feels Like Snow.(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Il by author. ISBN 1-59078-054-X. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press, 2003. Unp. $15.95. The tingle Alice feels in her elbows, nose, and toes tells her that it will soon snow. Her neighbors giggle and think she is a silly old woman. Meanwhile,...

Gauch, Patricia Lee This Time, Tempe Wick?(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Il. by Margot Tomes and author. ISBN 1-59078-179-1. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press, 2002. 48 pp. $19.95. Hurray for Temperance (Tempe) Wick! This determined, feisty girl stands up to anyone who antagonizes her, even two persistent mutineers...

Neuschwander, Cindy Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Cone: a Math Adventure.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Il. by Wayne Geehan. ISBN1-57091-600-4. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishing, 2003.32 pp. $16.95. In the fourth book of this series, Radius, son of Sir Cumference and Lady Di of Ameter, tackles a mathematical puzzle that wins his friend,...

Simmonds, Posy Lavender: the Bravest Rabbit in the World.(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Il. by author. ISBN 0-224-04729-9. London: A Jonathan Cape Book, division of Random House, 2003. Unp. 10.99 [pounds sterling]. Lavender is a quiet young rabbit who likes to draw and read and have nice conversations with her friends, quite...

Tingle, Tim Walking the Choctaw Road: Stories From Red People Memory.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Cover design by Norma Howard. ISBN 0-938317-74-1. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press, 2003. 142 pp. $16.95. These 12 stories of the Choctaw People, gathered by Oklahoma Choctaw storyteller Tim Tingle, focus on traditional lore, historical tales,...

Tucker, Kathy the Seven Chinese Sisters.(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Il. by Grace Lin. ISBN 0-807-57309-4. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman & Company, 2003. 32 pp. $15.95. The author of Do Knights Take Naps? offers this update of a classic Chinese folktale. When a hungry dragon steals the youngest of seven...

Wallace, Bill Goosed!(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Il. by Jacqueline Rogers. ISBN 0-8234-1757-3. New York: Holiday House,2002. 125pp. $16.95. T.P. is a bird dog, and his nose tells him something is amiss even before the box bursts open and a brown fur ball zooms by him, leaking all over the...

Harrison, David L. the Mouse was Out at Recess.(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Il. by Eugenie Fernandes. ISBN 1-56397-550-5. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press, 2003. 31 pp. $15.95. Veteran children's author David Harrison creates a collection of poems that speak to the topics children hold dear: icky boys (or girls),...

Hollyer, Belinda (selected by) the Kingfisher Book of Family Poems.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Il. by Holly Swain. New York: Kingfisher, a Houghton-Mifflin imprint, 2003. 224 pp. $18.95. As Belinda Hollyer explains in the introduction, the 159 poems in this collection explore just about every family situation. Funny or sad, jubilant or...

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth Paul Revere's Ride.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Il. by Monica Vachula. ISBN 1-56397-799O. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press, 2003. Unp. $16.95. "Listen, my children, and you shall hear.... One, if by land, and two, if by sea...." Longfellow's classic poem about Paul Revere's ride through the...

Meltzer, Milton Hour of Freedom.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Il. by Marc Nadel. ISBN 1-59078-021-3. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press, 2003. Unp. $16.95. This book provides an excellent perspective on some of America's most historic events, compiled in poetry form by the noted historian Milton Meltzer....

Patz, Nancy Who Was the Woman Who Wore the Hat?(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Il. by author. ISBN 0-525-46999-0. New York: Dutton Books, 2003. Unp. $14.99. The singular hat of the title, on display at the Jewish Historical Museum in Amsterdam, led the artist to reflect on the terrible times that the hat symbolized and on...

Smith, William Jay Up the Hill and Down: Poems for the Very Young.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Il. by Allan Eitzen. ISBN 1-56397-028-7. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press, 2003. 32 pp. $16.95. Take time to enjoy this wonderful collection of fun-to-read-aloud poetry that will captivate young children. The wordplay in the 29 poems, written...

Spinelli, Eileen Rise the Moon.(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Il. by Raul Colon. ISBN0-8037-2601-5. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, a division of Penguin Putnam, 2003. Unp. $16.99. As the moon rises, all "moon-hearted creatures"--lunar moth, artist, dancer, baker, tomcat, sleepy sailor, sea...

From Cinco Lobitos to Los Tres Cerditos: children's books in Spanish from around the world.(Children's Books in Spanish)
December 22, 2003... From traditional Hispanic nursery rhymes, to an appealing bilingual ABC for second language learners, to snappy Spanish renditions of well-known books in English, these recently published books from Mexico, Spain, Venezuela, Chile, and Colombia...

La Clase Magica: Imagining Optimal Possibilities in a Bilingual Community of Learners.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... O.A. Vasquez. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 2003. 237pp. $49.95 (hardback); $24.50 (softcover). The author, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, describes her involvement with La Clase Magica (The Magic Class), an...

The World of Youth: Adolescence in Eight Regions of the Globe.(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... B. B. Brown, R. W. Larson, & T. S. Saraswathi. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002. 369 pp. This fascinating book is the result of a three-year enterprise, sponsored jointly by the Society for Research on Adolescence and the...

The Moral Dimensions of Teaching: Language, Power, and Culture in Classroom Interaction.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... C. Buzzelli & B. Johnston. New York: Routledge/Falmer, 2002.172 pp. $22.95. If you have ever wondered how much influence a teacher's moral beliefs and values have on the quality of education that students will receive, this is a book you will...

Listen to the Children: From Focused Observation to Strategic Instruction.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... J. Fraser. Portsmouth NH: Heinemann, 2002. 162 pages. Jane Fraser offers a warm and easy-to-read compilation of stories about children and teachers that is a great resource for provoking discussion and reflection. In each chapter, Fraser...

Facilitating Interpersonal Relationships in the Classroom: the Relational Literacy Curriculum.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... D. Salmon & R. A. Freedman. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2002. 179 pp. Since 1968, Erikson, Bandura, and other constructivist theorists have been reminding educators about the importance of the social context of learning. Now, in a...

Divorce, Family Structure, and the Academic Success of Children.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... W. Jeynes. New York: The Haworth Press, 2002. 205 pp. $49.94 (hardcover); $24.95 (softcover). The effect of family changes on children's academic success is a relatively new subject for study. The author, a leader in this field, has published a...

Reading to Learn: Lessons From Exemplary Fourth-Grade Classrooms.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... R. L. Allington & P. H. Johnston. New York: The Guilford Press, 2002. 254 pp. $24 paperback. This book, written for policymakers, teacher educators, and teachers, takes the reader into six exemplary 4th-grade classrooms in five states. This...

Miscues, Not Mistakes: Reading Assessment in the Classroom.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... M. R. Davenport. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2002.268 pp. $22.00. The title of this book could be Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Miscue Analysis. The author views reading as a process of constructing meaning, not of saying words, and...

Inside the Literacy Hour: Learning From Classroom Experience.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... R. Fisher. New York: Routledge/ Falmer, 2002. 190 pp. Paperback, $24.95. In Inside the Literacy Hour, Ros Fisher provides an account of teaching literacy that stems from a research project linked to England's National Literacy Strategy (NLS)....

Growing Up in Child Care: a Case for Quality Early Education.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... B. Mardell. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2002. 112 pp. $15.00 (softcover). Ben Mardell's book goes a long way toward debunking the myth of child care as a necessary evil. Through the stories of children who have attended or are attending the...

Testing is Not Teaching: What Should Count in Education.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... D. H. Graves. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2002. 100 pp. $15.00. Each time I read an essay in Testing Is Not Teaching, I wanted to find one of my colleagues and read a part aloud. In these times of high-stakes accountability, these clear and...

Bullying Behavior: Current Issues, Research, and Interventions.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... R. A. Geffner, M. Loring, & C. Young (Eds.). Binghamton, NY: The Haworth Press, 2001. 200 pp. $27.95 (softcover); $59.95 (hardcover). Bullying Behavior is a monograph that was published simultaneously as the Journal of Emotional Abuse, Vol. 2,...

Reading Essentials.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... R. Routman. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003. 221 pp. $25.00. Regie Routman has written yet another inspiring, thoughtful book that challenges many current practices in reading instruction. In this book the author of numerous widely acclaimed...

Classroom Spaces That Work.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... M. K. Clayton with M. B. Forton. Greenfield, MA: Northeast Foundation for Children, 2001. 181 pp. Classroom Spaces That Work provides practical strategies and ideas for creating an environment that is conducive to teaching and learning. A...

Technology and the writing workshop.(Technology in the Classroom)
December 22, 2003... April props her notes and books next to her as she begins to type her first draft, using Microsoft Word. April is a 5th-grade student, and she is working on an inquiry-based research project in which she is investigating the field of...

Children and Welfare Reform, the Future of Children.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Richard E. Behrman. The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, 2002, Volume 12, No. 1. This special issue of the journal The Future of Children, titled "Children and Welfare Reform," contains objective information based on research related to...

An Uneven Start: Indicators of Inequality in School Readiness.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Richard J. Coley. Educational Testing Service, 2002. 75 pp. The report shares the results of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99, in which a nationally representative sample of children were followed from...

The State of the World's Children 2003.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... United Nations Children's Fund, 2002. 124 pages. The document begins with a foreword by Kofi A. Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and emphasizes through vivid examples how things are different when adults ask children for their...

Class Meetings: Young Children Solving Problems Together.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... Emily Vance & Dani Schwartz. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2002. 79 pp. In the words of these veteran teacher-authors, "This book is written by teachers for teachers." The authors define class...

All Together! Early Childhood Activity Kit.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... New York: AntiDefamation League of B'nai B'rith, 2001. 823 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017. 60 pp. The Anti-Defamation League developed this kit to help educators teach young children respect and appreciation for racial, religious,...

Bias-Free Foundations: Early Childhood Guidebook & Activities for Educators.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2003... New York: Anti-Defamation League and Sesame Workshops, 2001. 64 pp. This book is a good companion for All Together! (described above). The colorful pages include suggestions and activities for creating a bias-free early childhood classroom. One...

Taking Action with Teacher Research.
December 22, 2003... Edited by Ellen Meyers & Frances Rust. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003. 174 pp. In the early 1980s, the research literature was laden with evidence about successful schools needing effective principals. Today, most educators recognize the fact...

Using NCLB to Improve Student Achievement: an Action Guide for Community and Parent Leaders.
December 22, 2003... Public Education Network, 2002. 80 pp. The purpose of this guide, created by the Public Education Network (PEN), is to describe the various components of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) in a practical way for parents and community...

Multiage teachers' beliefs and practices.(Connecting Classroom Practice and Research)
December 22, 2003... This study examines the instructional and organizational practices of multiage teachers in the intermediate elementary grades and the beliefs that guide their practices. Qualitative case study design was used to construct individual portraits...

The impact of engagement in large-scale assessment on teachers' professional development: The Emergent Literacy Baseline Assessment Project.(Connecting Classroom Practice and Research)
December 22, 2003... This paper presents findings of an investigation into the impact of teachers' engagement in the Emergent Literacy Baseline Assessment (ELBA) project upon their professional development. The ELBA project was designed to identify Cypriot...

A profile of elementary school teachers involved in a professional development school.(Connecting Classroom Practice and Research)
December 22, 2003... This exploratory study identifies the characteristics of elementary school teachers who were involved in professional development school (PDS) activities at one PDS site. It describes 42 teachers' level of involvement in the PDS partnership...

A teacher's use of the environment to facilitate the social development of children.(Connecting Classroom Practice and Research)
December 22, 2003... In the mid-1600s, when schooling became compulsory and the public support of schools was mandated, its socialization function was forthright. Curriculum and instruction were designed for both academic and social development. Today, in the...

Transition from elementary to middle school and change in motivation: an examination of Chinese students.(Connecting Classroom Practice and Research)
December 22, 2003... This study examines whether a change in motivation occurred from 5th-grade elementary school to 6th-grade middle level school for students in the People's Republic of China, as had been identified among U.S. students. A total of 260 Chinese...

ACEI annual international conference & exhibition.(Calendar)
December 22, 2003... ACEI Annual International Conference & Exhibition Practices, Policies, Procedures . And All That Jazz April 14-17, 2004 Sheraton New Orleans Hotel New Orleans, Louisiana USA Conference at a Glance ...