Childhood Education articles from December 2004

Childhood Education archives from December 2004

Teachers mentors of children: teachers and children share much of their day together, and so certainly have an important influence on each other. But are teachers mentors of children? Do teachers perceive themselves as mentors.
December 22, 2004... I recently participated in a conference, sponsored by an organization dedicated to the prevention of child abuse, that focused on the mentoring of children and adolescents. The underlying assumption was that mentoring by a caring person, either...

Weighing in on the issue of childhood obesity: an overweight child often becomes the target of discrimination and ridicule on the playground. Clearly, the problems that overweight children encounter go beyond the physical.
December 22, 2004... Kyle is outside on the school playground with the other 4-year-olds. He is standing to the side and watching longingly as other children climb the wooden ladder, crawl through the tunnels, hang from the monkey bars, and glide down the slide....

Chasing friendship: acceptance, rejection, and recess play: first-grade children frequently blurred the line between acceptance and rejection while they worked through peer relationships within the complex social web of playground friendships.
December 22, 2004... "Hey! Up here!" Jeff flashed a try-and-catch-me grin and ducked inside the white plastic turret, disappearing from view. Giggling at the confusion of his pursuer on the ground below, Jeff peered down through the diagonal slots that served as...

Implementation of an early middle level field experience: a teacher education recruitment solution: attempts to educate university students, as well as the public, about the nature of middle school students and the philosophy of middle level education have proven to be a challenge.
December 22, 2004... While the middle school movement has gained legitimacy in recent years, attracting preservice teachers to the middle levels remains challenging. Essentially, attracting middle level preservice teachers is analogous to catching minnows in a...

Creating learning environments that invite all students to learn through multicultural literature and information technology: the intermingling of cultures, religions, and languages across the United States enriches classrooms, while presenting new challenges to teaching and learning.
December 22, 2004... How can we shape our curriculum to represent the diversity within our classrooms and society? How can we help students use the vast wealth of information available to them through electronic contexts such as the Internet or E-mail? These...

Reaching out: extending ourselves one person at a time.(President's Message)
December 22, 2004... Dear Colleagues, I recently joined a new church, after searching 18 months to find the "right" new church home. This search offered opportunities to observe different ways that church members reached out to other members, visitors, and...

The plight of children.(From The Executive Director)
December 22, 2004... I read a recent article in the Washington Post (8/22/ 04) that describes the harsh conditions that exist at a refugee camp near Bahas, Chad, on the border with Sudan--just one of 120 similar camps. Refugees cross the desert to Chad to escape...

Strategic plan 2004-2005.
December 22, 2004... Association for Childhood Education International MISSION OF ACEI 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...

Classroom idea-sparkers.
December 22, 2004... The following Idea-Sparker was submitted by Adrienne Hartley from Sand Hill School, Greene County, Mississippi. She is a Graduate Student at The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg Campus. Add+jective Stories I have taught...

Kaleidoscope of parenting cultures.(International/Intercultural)
December 22, 2004... Educator: Immigrant parents from Asia in my class have a dogmatic parenting style and I don't know how to make them change their parenting style. They show little interest in the class when we discuss parenting issues. Should they not be...

University of Guam ACEI Student Branch.(Program Development)
December 22, 2004... At the 2004 ACEI International Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, I had a chance to meet Sr. Jean Ann Crisostomo and Bernadita Camacho-Dungca of The University of Guam. There is a very active ACEI Student Branch on their campus. These two...

What stick is driving the Reading First hoop?(Policy Thoughts)(Reading First Initiative)
December 22, 2004... If the statement "assessment drives instruction" is true, the pendulum seems to be swinging toward more direct, systematic reading instruction based on the dictates emanating from Washington, D.C., and the Reading First Initiative. This article...

Focus on membership benefits: ACEI web site.(Memberandum)
December 22, 2004... The ACEI Web site was a wonderful Web site. It started right off with the mission statement of the organization, which in my opinion is a great mission because it is very broad thus allowing this association to look at a wide spectrum of issues...

Peace resolution and essay contest.(Public Affairs)
December 22, 2004... The Public Affairs Committee is working on new presentations for the 2005 Annual Conference. To build on the Peace Resolution passed by members in 2004, the Public Affairs and Student Committees are sponsoring an essay contest. Students and...

On behalf of their animal friends: involving children in animal advocacy: since time immemorial, animals have been serving human society in at least three broad roles: as teachers, as healers, and as companions and friends.
December 22, 2004... Children and teachers in 750 kindness clubs (organized by the World Society for the Protection of Animals, WSPA) in 32 African countries are actively involved in coordinating rural animal clinics and participate in clinic activities including...

Project baby care: a parental training program for students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD).(Issues In Education)
December 22, 2004... The rate of reported child abuse fatalities has risen annually, with an estimated 1,400 child fatalities from abuse occurring in 2002 alone; even so, recent studies estimate that 50-60 percent of deaths from child abuse are not recorded...

ESOL in every minute of the school day.(Teaching Strategies)(English for Speakers of Other Languages)
December 22, 2004... Five kindergarten students, who speak Spanish and Haitian Creole, sit around a table during the daily 15-minute English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) session with an ESOL assistant. This is the only time during their day when they...

Argueta, Jorge Xochitl and the Flowers/Xochitl, La Nina De Las Flores.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... Argueta, Jorge XOCHITL AND THE FLOWERS/ XOCHITL, LA NINA DE LAS FLORES. Il. by Carl Angel. ISBN 0-89239-181-2. San Francisco: Children's Book Press, 2003. 32 pp. $16.95. This is a bilingual story about resettlement, focusing on a family from El...

Brown, Elizabeth Ferguson Coal Country Christmas.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... Brown, Elizabeth Ferguson COAL COUNTRY CHRISTMAS. ISBN 1-59078-020-5. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press, 2003.32 pp. $15.95. This is the story of three generations of females named "Liz," and how Christmas time is spent together each year in an...

Desimini, Lisa My Beautiful Child.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... Desimini, Lisa MY BEAUTIFUL CHILD. Il. by Matt Mahurin. ISBN 0-439-45893-5. New York: Blue Sky Press, 2004. Unp. $16.95. All parents want their children to know that life offers limitless possibilities. Page by page, this poignant text depicts...

Hartinger, Brent The Last Chance Texaco.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... Hartinger, Brent THE LAST CHANCE TEXACO. ISBN 0-06-050912-0. New York: Harper Tempest, 2004. 240pp. $15.99. In an easy-reading novel format, The Last Chance Texaco offers a snapshot of the lives of vulnerable and dispossessed North American...

Hoberman, Mary Ann Whose Garden Is It?(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... Hoberman, Mary Ann WHOSE GARDEN IS IT? Il. by Jane Dyer. ISBN 0-15-202631-2. San Diego, CA: Gulliver Books, 2004. 40 pp. $16.00. Mrs. McGee is delighted by a beautiful blooming garden she passes when out for a walk. She asks the gardener,...

Johnson, Angela Just Like Josh Gibson.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... Johnson, Angela JUST LIKE JOSH GIBSON. Il. by Beth Peck. ISBN 0-689-82628-1. New York: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2004. Unp. $15.95. Grandmama describes the challenges she encountered as a young girl growing up in the 1940s...

Koontz, Dean Every Day's A Holiday.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... Koontz, Dean EVERY DAY'S A HOLIDAY. Il. by Phil Parks. ISBN 0-06-008584-3. New York: HarperCollins, 2003. Unp. $17.99. This collection combines humor and learning as it describes various real-life holidays, as well as holidays of the author's...

McPhail, David My Little Brother.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... McPhail, David MY LITTLE BROTHER. Il. by David McPhail. ISBN 0-15-204900-2. New York: Harcourt, 2004. 32 pp. $16.00. This heart-warming story is written from an older brother's perspective. He points out the trials and tribulations of living...

Powell, Consie Amazing Apples.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... Powell, Consie AMAZING APPLES. ISBN 0-8075-0399-1. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman & Company, 2003. 32 pp. $15.95. This book, through its collection of 17 acrostic poems, blends information and storytelling. The book is functional for...

Spinelli, Eileen Bath Time.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... Spinelli, Eileen BATH TIME. Il. by Janet Pederson. ISBN 0-7614-5117-X. Tarrytown, NY: Cavendish Children's Books, 2003. 32 pp. $14.95. This is a delightful rhyme describing the bath time ritual many children experience. The illustrations...

Wallace, Ian The Man Who Walked The Earth.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... Wallace, Ian THE MAN WHO WALKED THE EARTH. ISBN 0-88899-545-8. Toronto, ON: Groundwood, 2003. 32 pp. $17.95. This is a wonderful Christmas story about a family that is separated as a result of a prolonged drought on the prairies. The father...

Park, Linda Sue Mung-Mung: a Foldout Book of Animal Sounds.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... Park, Linda Sue MUNG-MUNG: A Foldout Book of Animal Sounds. Il. by Diane Bigda. ISBN 1-57091-486-9. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2004. Unp. US $9.95/ CAN $15.95. It is a pleasure to pick up this book celebrating multilingualism. Mung-Mung is a...

Pfeffer, Wendy Wiggling Worms At Work.(Children's Review)(Book Review)(Brief Review)
December 22, 2004... Pfeffer, Wendy WIGGLING WORMS AT WORK. ISBN 0-06-028448-X. New York: HarperCollins, 2004. 40 pp. $4.99. This text details the daily life and activities of the earthworm, making it appropriate for life systems themes in grades 1-4. Beautiful...

Simon, Seymour Hurricanes.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... Simon, Seymour HURRICANES. ISBN 0-688-162916. New York: HarperCollins, 2003.32 pp. $15.99. Seymour Simon has done it again, creating another fabulous informational text. Although written for ages 3 to 8, this fascinating book provides readers...

Washington, Donna L. A Pride Of African Tales.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... Washington, Donna L. A PRIDE OF AFRICAN TALES. Il. by James Ransome. ISBN 0-06-0249293. New York: HarperCollins, 2004. 80 pp. $25.99. The author has taken six folktales from various regions in Africa and combined them with vivid illustrations...

Winkelman, Barbara Gaines Puffer's Surprise.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... Winkelman, Barbara Gaines PUFFER'S SURPRISE. Il. by Steven James Petruccio. ISBN 1-59249-0328. Norwalk, CT: Soundprints, 2003. 32 pp. $15.95 U.S./$25.95 CAN. This nonfictional story about sea life off the Galapagos Islands is written with...

Learning To Trust: Transforming Difficult Elementary Classrooms Through Developmental Discipline.(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... LEARNING TO TRUST: Transforming Difficult Elementary Classrooms Through Developmental Discipline. Marilyn Watson. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003. 318 pp. Hardback, $29.00. Marilyn Watson writes about Laura Ecken's experiences transforming her...

The Brain-Compatible Classroom: Using What We Know about Learning to Improve Teaching.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... THE BRAIN-COMPATIBLE CLASSROOM: Using What We Know About Learning To Improve Teaching. Laura Erlauer. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2003. 167pp. $23.95. This informative, easy-to-read book summarizes...

The Young Child's Memory For Words: Developing First and Second Language and Literacy.(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... THE YOUNG CHILD'S MEMORY FOR WORDS: Developing First and Second Language and Literacy. Daniel R. Meier. New York: Teachers College Press, 2004. 147 pp. Paperback, $18.95. "Powerful literacy teaching is teaching for memory" (p. 4). With this...

Serving Our Children: Charter Schools and the Reform of American Public Education.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... SERVING OUR CHILDREN: Charter Schools and the Reform of American Public Education. Kevin P. Chavous. Sterling, VA: Capital Books, 2004. 182 pp. Hardcover. $22.95. Kevin P. Chavous writes from a unique perspective as a non-educator, supporter of...

Building The Reading Brain, PreK-3.(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... BUILDING THE READING BRAIN, PRE K-3. Patricia Wolfe & Pamela Nevills. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2004. 182 pp. Paperback, $28.95; hardcover, $64.95. Patricia Wolfe, lecturer and author of the popular Brain Matters, Translating Research...

Teaching With Fire: Poetry That Sustains the Courage To Teach.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... TEACHING WITH FIRE: Poetry That Sustains the Courage To Teach. Edited by Sam M. Intrator and Megan Scribner. Introduction by Parker J. Palmer and Tom Vander Ark. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003. 231 pp. Hardbound, $14.95. (ISBN 0-78796970-2)....

School Connections: U.S. Mexican Youth, Peers and School Achievement.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... SCHOOL CONNECTIONS: U.S. Mexican Youth, Peers and School Achievement. Patricia Gandara, Margaret Gibson, and Jill Koyama (Eds.). New York: Teachers College Press, 2004. 196pp. $44.00. Softcover, $21.95. The population of Hispanic students is...

Literacy And Young Children: Research-based Practices.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... LITERACY AND YOUNG CHILDREN: Research-based Practices. Diane M. Barone & Lesley Mandel Morrow. New York: Guilford Press, 2003. 318 pp. $29.00. This edited volume, developed from a preconvention institute at the 2001 annual convention of the...

Promoting language acquisitions: technology and English language learners.(Technology In The Classroom)
December 22, 2004... As a former English as a second language (ESL) teacher, I know firsthand how important it is for teachers to find technology that promotes language development for English language learners. While teaching ESL in an inner-city school in the...

Boys And Girls Together: Improving Gender Relationships in K-6 Classrooms.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... BOYS AND GIRLS TOGETHER: Improving Gender Relationships in K-6 Classrooms. Tamara Grogan. Greenfield, MA: Northeast Foundation for Children, 2003. ISBN 1-892989-12-3. This publication examines how American society has created gender differences...

Place-Based Education: Connecting Classrooms and Communities.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... PLACE-BASED EDUCATION: Connecting Classrooms and Communities. David Sobel. Great Barrington, MA: Orion Society, Nature Literacy Series, No. 4, 2004. ISBN 0-913098-54-x. This publication is dedicated to communities that are reimagining the...

35 Ways To Help A Grieving Child.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... 35 WAYS TO HELP A GRIEVING CHILD. The Dougy Center, National Center for Grieving Children and Families, 1999. ISBN 1-890534-03-X. This guidebook is the product of many years of working with children and teenagers who have lost a family member....

The Oral Language Acquisition Inventory: Linking Research and Theory to Assessment and Instruction.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... THE ORAL LANGUAGE ACQUISITION INVENTORY: Linking Research and Theory to Assessment and Instruction. Lance M. Gentile. Dominie Press, Inc. ISBN 0-7685-2299-4. This research-based assessment and instructional package for pre-kindergarten through...

Early Literacy Assessment Systems.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... EARLY LITERACY ASSESSMENT SYSTEMS. Jacqueline Jones. Educational Testing Service, 2003. This report makes a strong case that multiple literacy assessments are necessary for successfully monitoring young children's literacy development. The...

Mixing It Up: Integrated, Interdisciplinary, Intriguing Science in the Elementary Classroom.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... MIXING IT UP: Integrated, Interdisciplinary, Intriguing Science in the Elementary Classroom. Arlington, VA: National Science Teachers Association, 2003. ISBN 0-87355-231-8. The current emphasis in schools on reading and math has led many...

Preparing Teachers Around The World.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... PREPARING TEACHERS AROUND THE WORLD. Aubrey H. Wang, Ashaki B. Coleman, Richard J. Coley, Richard P. Phelps. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service, 2003. The No Child Left Behind Act has stirred debate as it advocates sweeping changes in...

ACEI Annual International Conference & Exhibition.(Calendar)
December 22, 2004... ACEI Annual International Conference & Exhibition The Future of Education: Government, Pedagogy, and Practice March 23-26, 2005 Grand Hyatt Washington Washington, DC USA Conference at a Glance Morning WEDNESDAY ...