Childhood Education articles from March 2008

Childhood Education archives from March 2008

More alike than different: early childhood professional development in Guatemala.(Report)
March 22, 2008... Vibrantly colored textiles, volcanoes nested among emerald green valleys, and ancient Maya cities are some of the images of Guatemala that win the hearts of many visitors. Located in Central America, Guatemala has a population of approximately...

Motivation: going beyond testing to a lifetime of reading.
March 22, 2008... Motivating children to read on their own has been less of a priority than improving reading achievement in recent years, but many teachers are still asking, "How do I get my students to want to read?" The omission of motivation as a major...

Promoting academic engagement through insistence: being a warm demander.
March 22, 2008... If educators are to bridge the black/white achievement gap, they must find a way to engage low-income and minority youth in academic learning. While ample evidence indicates that some teachers are highly effective in engaging students (e.g.,...

"I just don't like that kid": confronting and managing personal feelings about children.
March 22, 2008... All good teachers try hard to treat each child fairly and kindly, with care and concern. Indeed, we are ethically obliged to do so (National Association for the Education of Young Children [NAEYC], 2005). As we are human, however, we may...

Assessing preservice teachers' dispositions: a critical dimension of professional preparation.
March 22, 2008... Setting: A classroom in a metropolitan university with 25 preservice teachers. A professor who acts as program coordinator addresses the group of preservice teachers at the beginning of each semester: "When you receive your teaching...

The Western States Certification Consortium: helping schools, helping prospective teachers.
March 22, 2008... The Western States Certification Consortium (WSCC) (www.pathway2teach.org) is a collaborative effort of 11 states in the western region of the United States that provides information on alternative teacher training programs and specific...

Bridging a successful school transition.(President's Message)
March 22, 2008... We know that children's exposure to learning opportunities prior to age 5 has a profound and lasting effect on their success in school and beyond. Each fall, millions of children enter kindergarten; some of those 5-year-old children have a...

If each one of us helps.(From the Executive Director)(the importance of a strong membership base and adequate funding for the Association for Childhood Education International)
March 22, 2008... Like many other professional membership organizations, ACEI is largely dependent on dues income to help fund substantive programs such as the Annual Conference & Exhibition; publications, including books and professional peer-reviewed journals;...

Teacher candidate fashion, tattoos, and piercings: finding balance and common sense.(Vice President's Vista)
March 22, 2008... For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with...

Atlanta 2008 Conference.(Public Affairs)(Public notice)
March 22, 2008... We are very pleased to announce that the Public Affairs Committee is planning two special sessions for the ACEI Conference 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia. These sessions will focus on environmental education in action. This year, we will have an...

Call for Annual Business Meeting and membership resolutions.(Public notice)
March 22, 2008... The ACEI Annual Business Meeting will be held on Friday, March 28, 2008, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m., in conjunction with the Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. The ACEI Constitution authorizes members to vote on matters of official...

Diversity education: respect, equality, and social justice.(Diversity Concerns)
March 22, 2008... The work of the ACEI Diversity Committee is characterized by the following values statement: The Diversity Committee values diversity and is dedicated to promoting respect, equality, and social justice for diverse populations, including...

A recipe for writing motivation.(Classroom Idea-Sparkers)
March 22, 2008... This Idea-Sparker was submitted by Gina McClure and Jennifer McClure Middleton Writing Coaches, Mobile County Public School System, Mobile, Alabama. There is nothing worse than hearing moans and groans when you announce to your students...

Responding to urban violence: what teachers tell us they can and must do in their classrooms.(Peace Education Network)
March 22, 2008... Children in all areas are exposed both directly and indirectly to violence. Proportionally, children in urban settings have more frequent exposure to violence. According to the Children's Defense Fund (2007), a child or teen is killed by...

Welcome new team members!(Headquarters News)(Lyudmila Gulian, Megan Skidmore, Jana Pauldin)
March 22, 2008... The Association for Childhood Education International extends a warm welcome to our new team members, Lyudmila Gulian and Megan Skidmore, and a heartfelt welcome back to Jana Pauldin, former ACEI Public Relations Manager. Lyudmila, or...

Inspiration espresso.(Emerging Educators)
March 22, 2008... At the elementary school where I taught 4th grade last year, I befriended a caring and hardworking co-worker, a veteran teacher named Alicia Herrera. One day, she asked me if my enthusiastic teaching derived from my vitamin energy drink. I...

Leslie R. Williams.(In Memoriam)(In memoriam)
March 22, 2008... ACEI mourns the passing of Professor Leslie R. Williams, a stellar and much-loved member (and former chair) of the Curriculum and Teaching faculty at Teachers College, Columbia University for the past three decades. In her work in...

2008 summer workshops * books in Spanish for young readers.(Calendar)
March 22, 2008... The Barahona Center for the Study of Books in Spanish for Children and Adolescents at California State University San Marcos announces three workshops: June 9-11--Current Issues: Books in Spanish for Young Readers. Introduction to and...

Attention, educators and parents: free child safety toolkit.
March 22, 2008... "Got 2B Safe! Think Smart and Take Charge" is a new program designed to help children learn the skills necessary to protect themselves from abduction and sexual exploitation, both in the community and at school. The educational toolkit,...

Focus on literacy: effective content teachers for the middle grades.(New From ACEI Publications)(Excerpt)
March 22, 2008... The following is an excerpt from the most recent ACEI publication: Characteristics of Effective Middle Level Teachers Although teaching with an emphasis on literacy while delivering instruction in a content discipline requires a complex...

Quantity, quality, children's characteristics, and vocabulary learning.(review of research)
March 22, 2008... Reading books to children provides the opportunity for learning new vocabulary. The specific effect of reading to children appears to depend upon how often the child is read to (Beals, DeTemple, & Dickinson, 1994; Burns & Blewitt, 2000; Neuman,...

Class size: a battle between accountability and quality instruction.(issues in education)(Report)
March 22, 2008... A substantial amount of controversy surrounds the issue of class size in public schools (Achilles, 2003; Bracey, 1995; Kronholz, 2002). Parents and teachers are on one side, touting the benefits of smaller class sizes (e.g., increased academic...

A note from the column editor.(books for children)(Editorial)
March 22, 2008... One of the joys of editing this column is the ongoing exchange of e-mail with a wide range of children's book reviewers, including librarians, professors, elementary teachers, undergraduate and graduate students, retired educators, and many,...

Friedman, D. Dina: Playing Dad's Song.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
March 22, 2008... Friedman, D. Dina PLAYING DAD'S SONG. ISBN 0-374-37173-3. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006. 131 pp. $16.00. Have you ever had a bad day and just wanted to crawl into bed and pull the blanket over your head? Gus Moskowitz does just this...

Garland, Michael: King Puck.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
March 22, 2008... Garland, Michael KING PUCK. II. by author. ISBN-10: 0-06-085809-X. ISBN-13: 978-0-06-085809-5. New York: HarperCollins, 2007. 32 pp. $16.99. Michael Garland brings an authentic Irish festival to fictional life in this charmingly illustrated...

Gomes, Filomena: My Mom Loves Me More Than Sushi.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
March 22, 2008... Gomes, Filomena MY MOM LOVES ME MORE THAN SUSHI. II. by Ashley Spires. ISBN 1-897187-09-2. Toronto, ON: Second Story Press, 2006. 32 pp. $14.95. I really enjoyed reading this story. One of my favorite things to do is to cook with my morn. The...

Grindley, Sally: Dear Max.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
March 22, 2008... Grindley, Sally DEAR MAX. Il. by Tony Ross. ISBN 1-4169-0392-5. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2006. 141 pp. $14.95. Max very much wants to become a writer when he grows up. His favorite author is D. J. Lucas, with whom he develops a...

Mayer, Mercer: The Bravest Knight.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
March 22, 2008... Mayer, Mercer THE BRAVEST KNIGHT. Il. by author. ISBN 978-0-8037-3206-3. New York: Dial Books for Young Reader's, 2007. 32 pp. $16.99. With a child's imagination and an artist's eye for detail, Mayer creates an engaging fairy tale for today's...

Rosenthal, Amy Krouse: One of Those Days.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
March 22, 2008... Rosenthal, Amy Krouse ONE OF THOSE DAYS. Il. by Rebecca Doughty. ISBN 0-399-24365-8. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sorts, 2006. 32 pp. $13.99. Who hasn't had "one of those days"? Rosenthal creates a book that everyone can relate to by depicting the...

Shlasko, Robert: Molly and the Sword.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
March 22, 2008... Shlasko, Robert MOLLY AND THE SWORD. Il. by Donna Diamond. ISBN 0-9745077-4-1. Jane & Street Publishers, 2004. 32 pp. $15.95. Molly and the Sword is a wonderful read. This book touches upon a number of important themes, including bravery,...

Stein, David Ezra: Leaves.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
March 22, 2008... Stein, David Ezra LEAVES. Il. by author. ISBN 978-0-399-24636-4. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2007. 32 pp. $15.99. Using watercolors, Stein depicts a bear's first year across the four seasons, starting with summer. When autumn arrives, the...

Stemple, Heidi E.Y., and Jane Yolen: Sleep, Black Bear, Sleep.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
March 22, 2008... Stemple, Heidi E.Y., and Jane Yolen SLEEP, BLACK BEAR, SLEEP. Il. by Brooke Dyer. ISBN 13: 978-0-06-081560-8. New York: HarperCollins, 2007. 32 pp. $15.99. Every child about to indulge in a sweet nap or a good night's sleep will enjoy this...

Schwartz, Amy, & Leonard S. Marcus Oscar: The Big Adventure of a Little Sock Monkey.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
March 22, 2008... Schwartz, Amy, & Leonard S. Marcus OSCAR: The Big Adventure of a Little Sock Monkey. Il. by Amy Schwartz. ISBN-13: 978-0-06-072622-5. New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2005. 32 pp. $16.99. Oscar is only a little sock monkey, but when his best...

Griessman, Annette: Like a Hundred Drums.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
March 22, 2008... Griessman, Annette LIKE A HUNDRED DRUMS. Il. by Julie Monks. ISBN-13: 978-0618-55878-0. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006. 32 pp. $15.00. No one notices it at first, on a sleepy summer day, but one by one, the animals and the people sense the...

Watt, Melanie: Augustine.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
March 22, 2008... Watt, Melanie AUGUSTINE. Il. by author. ISBN-13: 978-1-55337-885-3. Tonawanda, NY: Kids Can Press, 2006. 32 pp. $16.95. Through colorful language and illustration, Watt depicts the struggles and hardships that many young children face when...

Greenwood, Barbara: Factory Girl.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
March 22, 2008... Greenwood, Barbara FACTORY GIRL. ISBN-13: 978-1-55337-648-4. Tonawanda, NY: Kids Can Press, 2007. 136 pp. $18.95. In Factory Girl, Barbara Greenwood weaves together historical fiction with factual information to tell the story of Emily...

Mulder, Michelle: Maggie and the Chocolate War.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
March 22, 2008... Mulder, Michelle MAGGIE AND THE CHOCOLATE WAR. Il. by Melissa Kaita. ISBN 978-1-897187-27-2. Toronto, ON: Second Story Press, 2007. 93 pp. $14.95. Maggie and the Chocolate War is a historical fiction book set in the time just after World War II...

Brown, Margaret Wise: Nibble Nibble.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
March 22, 2008... Brown, Margaret Wise NIBBLE NIBBLE. Il. by Wendell Minor. ISBN-10: 0-06-059208-7. ISBN-13: 978-0-06-059208-0. New York: HarperCollins, 2007. 32 pp. $16.99. In 1959, Margaret Wise Brown published a collection of poems for children; in 2007,...

Shapiro, Karen Jo: I Must Go Down to the Beach Again: And Other Poems.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
March 22, 2008... Shapiro, Karen Jo I MUST GO DOWN TO THE BEACH AGAIN: And Other Poems. Il. by Judy Love. ISBN 1580891438. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2007. 48pp. $14.95. Levity abounds in this playful collection of poetry inspired by the works of such classic...

Knowledge Under Construction: The Importance of Play in Developing Children's Spatial and Geometric Thinking.(Book review)
March 22, 2008... KNOWLEDGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION: The Importance of Play in Developing Children's Spatial and Geometric Thinking. Daniel Ness & Stephen J. Farenga. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2007. 228 pp. $32.95. Knowledge Under Construction: The...

Best Practices in Gifted Education: An Evidence-Based Guide.(Book review)
March 22, 2008... BEST PRACTICES IN GIFTED EDUCATION: An Evidence-Based Guide. Ann Robinson, Bruce M. Shore, & Donna L. Enersen. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press, 2007. 276 pp. Paperback, $39.95. Have you, as a parent or teacher of gifted children, wondered what you can...

Out of the Labyrinth: Setting Mathematics Free.(Book review)
March 22, 2008... OUT OF THE LABYRINTH: Setting Mathematics Free. Robert Kaplan & Ellen Kaplan. Oxford University Press, 2006. 256 pp. $25.00. The authors place a lot of emphasis on the freedom of mathematics and viewing it as a means by which students explore...

Young Bilingual Learners at Home and School: Researching Multilingual Voices.(Book review)
March 22, 2008... YOUNG BILINGUAL LEARNERS AT HOME AND SCHOOL: Researching Multilingual Voices. Rose Drury. Stoke on Trent, UK: Trentham Books, 2007. 123 pp. $29.95. The author of this book conducted an ethnographic study of three bilingual children, documenting...

Faith in Children: Stories From Faith-based Children's Centers.(Brief article)(Book review)
March 22, 2008... FAITH IN CHILDREN: Stories From Faith-based Children's Centers. Roberta R. Owens, Franklin, TN: Providence House Publishers, 2007. 264 pp. Softcover, $34.95. Many preschool youngsters attend private faith-based programs. This book sensitively...

Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56.(Book review)
March 22, 2008... TEACH LIKE YOUR HAIR'S ON FIRE: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56. Rafe Esquith. New York: Viking Adult, 2007. 256 pp. $24.95. Rafe Esquith has been an educator in the Los Angeles County Unified School District for 25 years. For the last...

Educating for Democracy in a Changing World: Understanding Freedom in Contemporary America.(Book review)
March 22, 2008... EDUCATING FOR DEMOCRACY IN A CHANGING WORLD: Understanding Freedom in Contemporary America. Stephen M. Fain, David M. Callejo Perez, & Judith J. Slater (Eds.). New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2007. 168pp. $29.95. This book examines how the...

What's happening in special education?(among the periodicals)(Report)
March 22, 2008... The relationship between special education and general education is constantly changing. In the past 10 years, responsiveness to intervention has become a mandated process in the United States (see Goldman & Aldridge, 2007). Many general...

Films, videos, and dvds.(Video recording review)
March 22, 2008... In this election year, it is time to consider educational policies and practices that may, or may not, be working in constructive ways to ensure that our children, our legacy for the future, are being educated to assume their roles in a...

Learning stories and children's mathematics.(ecap report)(Recommended readings)
March 22, 2008... This column presents and summarizes recent resources that help teachers address early childhood math, using stories. Books SHOWCASING MATHEMATICS FOR THE YOUNG CHILD: Activities for Three-, Four-, and Five-Year-Olds. Juanita V. Copley,...