Childhood Education articles from March 1998

Childhood Education archives from March 1998

Why not do something? Literature as a catalyst for social action.
March 22, 1998... Once, good and evil in children's books was, in large part, limited to depictions of sinister characters in fairy tales. Modern children's books, however, often tackle ethical issues. Children's author Eve Bunting, for example, captures the...

Lessons from Ukraine. (workshop of preschool teachers revealed more similarities than differences)
March 22, 1998... In the midst of an inflationary economy, the collapse of Soviet trading ties and the continuing threat from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, 120 preschool teachers from across Ukraine met on the outskirts of Kiev to participate in a two-week...

Marbles, anyone? Traditional games in the classroom.
March 22, 1998... Do you remember sitting in a circle on the smoothest part of the school yard, awaiting your turn to play jacks? Did you sprawl in the dust under a big shade tree so as to best line up your agate shooter with a coveted tiger eye marble? Does the...

Literacy portfolios: challenges that affect change.
March 22, 1998... Many consider portfolios to be more authentic and appropriate assessment tools than standardized tests. We accept this stance. The shift from other assessment practices to a portfolio system, however, is not without some difficulties. Through our...

Birth through kindergarten teacher training. (North Carolina's new licensure program)
March 22, 1998... Research indicates that children's development does not occur in one discrete, isolated area at a time. Rather, children learn to explore while they learn to talk, and they learn to manipulate materials while learning to play. Similarly, when a...

Science and young children: the message from the National Science Education Standards.
March 22, 1998... In December 1995, the National Research Council released the National Science Education Standards (1996). The development of standards for science education represented nearly five years of work and the involvement of thousands of scientists,...

Gender differences in young adolescents' mathematics and science achievement.
March 22, 1998... Research on gender differences in academic achievement offers educators of young adolescents thought-provoking information on implications and guidance on specific directions to take. The accumulated literature on this topic covers students'...

Are local school boards obsolete?
March 22, 1998... The United States is one of the few remaining industrialized nations that does not have a national curriculum. What is the rationale behind keeping public schools under the control of local jurisdictions? Are Americans' educational progress being...

Making time for family.
March 22, 1998... Recently, a friend commented to me, "Last night, Hannah was sound asleep before I realized I didn't answer her questions about an upcoming field trip. And breakfast this morning was so busy that she left for school without my listening to her. I...

Habits of Goodness: Case Studies in the Social Curriculum.
March 22, 1998... Habits of Goodness is a compelling book that provides so much food for thought that one rereads, makes notes of significant points and ideas, and responds with an affirming "Yes!" Both preservice and inservice teachers will benefit from these six...

Among Friends: Classrooms Where Caring and Learning Prevail.
March 22, 1998... Dalton, an Australian educator, and Watson, Director of the Child Development Project in California, have effectively captured relevant stories of teachers and children through classroom vignettes and conversations with teachers. The reader is...

Teaching Language and Literacy: Preschool Through the Elementary Grades.
March 22, 1998... The authors, all notable in the literacy field, place "children at the center of all good language and literacy teaching." They begin by flaming the text within three themes - a constructivist perspective on learning, respect for diversity and...

Integrating Children's Literature and Mathematics in the Classroom: Children as Meaning Makers, Problem Solvers and Literary Critics.
March 22, 1998... Like many inventions, this book grew out of the author's professed need for guidance in selecting children's trade books about mathematics. Schiro's frustrations with unreliable resources that rated children's books led him to develop his own set...

The Arts in Children's Lives: Aesthetic Education in Early Childhood.
March 22, 1998... The authors of The Arts in Children's Lives describe the book as a text for both beginning and experienced early childhood teachers taking a course on the topic, and indeed it is. This book contains plenty of figures to illustrate educational...

Building strong foundations for early language development ... and more.
March 22, 1998... The press kit that accompanies the First Steps series describes the language development videos as "powerful," but that is only the beginning! "Preventive" and "proactive" also come to mind when describing this outstanding, user-friendly and...