Childhood Education articles from September 1995

Childhood Education archives from September 1995

Sign language and hearing preschoolers: an ideal match.
September 22, 1995... The preschool years have long been considered an ideal period for second language learning. At that age, children immersed in a non-native language can become fluent, even bilingual, within a relatively short period. But how well does exposure...

Literacy-enriched play centers: trying them out in "the real world."
September 22, 1995... Tucked in the corner of a busy preschool classroom is a "grocery store" alive with the energetic voices and laughter of young children engaged in the serious work of play. A brightly colored "OPEN" sign sits upside down on the easel that displays...

Promoting active listening in the classroom.
September 22, 1995... At a conference session on improving children's listening skills, one educator present remarked, "I hate to sound like a grouchy old teacher, but I have been teaching for 16 years and I think that kids today just don't know how to listen." As...

Trading the three R's for the four E's: transforming curriculum.
September 22, 1995... While the phrase "reading, `riting and `rithmetic" may seem antiquated, it is amazingly consistent with the education of young children today. Other skills and topics have been "added on" to the core three; often, teachers must juggle to cover...

Developing young children's classification and logical thinking skills.
September 22, 1995... Classification is a basic process that children can use to develop logical and mathematical reasoning abilities (Copeland, 1974; Kennedy & Tipps, 1991; Van de Walle, 1990). Piaget contends that all knowledge, including the ability to reason...

A knitting tale: reflections on scaffolding.
September 22, 1995... Laura, nearly 6, recently engaged in a challenging and rewarding learning experience. She learned how to "chain knit." She had received a beautiful, small, hardwood knitter as a Christmas gift. One wintry Saturday morning, she asked her father,...

Portfolio assessment: talking the talk - walking the walk.(ACEI Exchange)
September 22, 1995... I recently attended a Peace Corps Fellows Convocation in Los Angeles, where program participants, coordinators and community representatives met to discuss their programs to prepare former Peace Corps volunteers for careers in teaching or...

ACEI/Alliance for Curriculum Reform. (Association for Childhood Education International)(ACEI Exchange)
September 22, 1995... In 1994, ACEI joined the Alliance for Curriculum Reform (ACR), a group of 31 national, not-for-profit, non-government, professional education organizations that share an interest in improving pre K-12 curriculum and instruction. ACR's mission is...

British child care and early education services.(ACEI Exchange)
September 22, 1995... Following the 1995 ACEI Conference in Washington, I traveled to Britain where, as Visiting Fellow at the University of London's Institute of Education, I studied the British system of care and education for young children. Although child care and...

Professional development schools.(ACEI Exchange)
September 22, 1995... Professional development schools (PDSs) improve the education of preservice and inservice teachers by providing opportunities to examine teaching and learning and by encouraging school and university collaboration (Abdala-Haqq, 1). PDSs operate...

Nurturing the creative majority of our schools: a response. (reply to Alex Whitson, Childhood Education, vol. 71, p. 2, 1994)
September 22, 1995... I agree with many of the points made by Alex Whitson in the Fall 1994 Issues in Education column, "The Creative Minority in Our Schools." I take exception, however, to a central point in his article - that the creative element is a minority in...

Saving with dough and other inexpensive activities for the family.
September 22, 1995... As children's first teachers, parents need to be able to prepare them both physically and mentally for their future. Therefore, parents should be aware of how natural exploration and play can facilitate learning. Learning activities designed...

Journal of Research in Childhood Education, vol. 9.
September 22, 1995... ACEI publishes two outstanding journals that have separate purposes, but both aim to inform. This biannual column will assist that function by informing Childhood Education readers about the practical contents of the journal of Research in...

Native American legends in the classroom.(Classroom Idea-Sparkers)
September 22, 1995... This Idea-Sparker was shared by Camille Hodges, Willow Springs School, Fairfax, Virginia. The activity is designed to help children develop an appreciation for the folklore and literature from the Native American culture. The teacher begins...

Travelmates. (in-class activity)(Classroom Idea-Sparkers)
September 22, 1995... Travelmates has been an exciting component of Janet Sheard's 4th-grade class for several years. The students begin with an in-class activity to identify the states and countries that they have visited. The class tabulates the results and...