A departmentalized classroom setting allows educators to focus their time on one content area, thus mastering their knowledge and craft in that subject area. However, many elementary school teachers are trained to be generalists who spend the entire year with one group of students, commonly referred to as self-contained classrooms. The problem…

Previous research suggests that the ways in which early childhood classrooms are organized may facilitate children's language learning. However, different measures of classroom organization often yield inconsistent findings regarding child outcomes. In this study, we investigated multiple aspects of classroom organization across two time points in…

Previous research suggests that the ways in which early childhood classrooms are organized may facilitate children's language learning. However, different measures of classroom organization often yield inconsistent findings regarding child outcomes. In this study, we investigated multiple aspects of classroom organization across two time points in…

Grounded in theory and research, "The All-Day Kindergarten and Pre-K Curriculum" provides an activity-based and classroom-proven curriculum for educators to consider as they plan and interact with pre-k and kindergarten children. Allowing young children the opportunities to become independent, caring, critical thinkers who feel comfortable asking…

Teacher organization is a crucial part of classroom functioning; however, its relation to student achievement has not been investigated as extensively as that of instruction. In this study, organization is defined as the amount of time teachers spend explaining the purpose and procedures of learning activities and daily routines. Data from…

In her previous books, "Literacy Work Stations and Practice with Purpose," Debbie Diller showed teachers how to productively occupy the "rest of the class" while meeting with small groups. Now Debbie turns her attention to the groups themselves and the teacher's role in small-group instruction. "Making the Most of Small Groups" grapples with…

This paper examines some intersections among school literacy events and practices, identity formation, and the institutional practice known in the US as tracking. During a year-long, critical ethnographic study to examine how a team-taught, interdisciplinary curriculum impacted the development of students' literacies, it was found that not only…