The more that students see themselves in everyday situations that involve mathematics, the more likely they are to be successful. Incorporating names, ages, and other personal data into mathematical activities is easy and fun. (MKR)

Many childrens' clubs are available throughout the country and can be a source of enrichment and enjoyment for school children. Information about clubs for those interested in sports-card and postcard collecting, teddy bears, yo-yos, pencils, left-handedness, and other subjects is provided. (PP)

Suggests activities that are intended to help children understand and become more familiar with the legends and myths that are read to them. Argues that the study of classical myths and legends should be part of the English curriculum. (HOD)

Examines the lack of information about how children evaluate what they read and why they select particular reading materials. Offers approaches to understanding reading preferences and ways to encourage evaluative skills. Suggests six criteria for selecting good children's literature and ideas about using children's magazines to help express…

Notes that poetry writing can be a natural and interesting part of the language arts curriculum. Offers an approach to teaching poetry to intermediate grade students that leads them to accept and like poetry. (FL)

A "children's festival" can be an exciting and meaningful alternative to the traditional school carnival, which often emphasizes competition rather than cooperation and learning. Ideas for such a festival that can generate money, provide fun for adults and children, encourage cooperation, and provide learning experiences are presented.…

Urges teachers of kindergarten children to use an inquiry approach to help pupils understand the world around them. Inquiry activities can utilize school personnel, teacher and student maps of the school, community resource people, comparative information about children in other cities and countries, and correspondence with community agencies.…

Discusses the four major concentrations that can form the framework for a childrens literature program: children's interests, literary types, literary elements, and creators of children's literature. (DD)

Video games are neither neutral nor harmless but represent very specific social and symbolic constructs. Research on the social content of today's video games reveals that sex bias and gender stereotyping are widely evident throughout the Nintendo games. Violence and aggression also pervade the great majority of the games. (MLF)

Maintains that one of the most difficult aspects of early childhood teaching is to set aside preconceptions and really pay attention to what children are doing. Maintains that music specialists who go into the early childhood room only at music time should seek other opportunities to observe students. (CFR)

Presents reviews of the following mathematics software designed to teach young children counting, number recognition, visual discrimination, matching, addition, and subtraction skills; Stickybear Numbers, Learning with Leeper, Getting Ready to Read and Add, Counting Parade, Early Games for Young Children, Charlie Brown's 1,2,3's, Let's Go Fishing,…

Describes a six-step technique that capitalizes on children's experiences and interests while providing structure and redundancy within a creative framework to maximize sight word acquisition. (FL)

Explains how read-aloud sessions can be developed in ways that help children deal with common concerns. Offers an example. (FL)

Relates a narrative of a boy's life from his elementary school years through his early adult years. Reports on how his early empathy for the economic and social status of migrant workers changed as a result of parental pressure. Concludes that parents often send children conflicting messages about ethics and values. (CFR)

Reports on the beginnings of visual representation in early childhood by using longitudinal studies in both London, England and Singapore. Finds evidence to support the theory that underlying children's use and organization of visual media are certain robust forms of behavior, or deep structures. (CFR)