As one of four volumes in a K-12 series, this teaching guide contains classroom and outdoor activities pertaining to the environment and energy for kindergarten through third grades. The guide was developed based upon the understanding that environmental education can serve as an instructional umbrella covering many topics (conservation, marine…

There is an increasing interest in the practice of teachers staying with a group of students for more than one year. This is referred to as looping in educational practice. The problem of constant uncertainty or change of a new teacher year to year, creates less academic time and student anxiety. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects…

In March 1974, "Instructor" interviewed Wilson Riles, California's Superintendent of Public Instruction. At that time, the state's ambitious Early Childhood Education program had not yet completed its first year. Now "Instructor" takes another look. What is the program? What has it accomplished? What are people saying about it?…

Describes the particular feelings that constitute "teacherly love," drawing upon research conducted in an upper-middle-class, primary-grade classroom in northern California. Contends that teacherly love is a distinct and unique type of love, both like and unlike other kinds of love that previously have been studied. (40 citations) (VWC)

Developed as a vehicle of communication for the Reading Recovery Council of North America, this journal represents an international effort to connect researchers, teachers, and all those interested in early literacy. Articles in the first issue of this fourth volume are: "The Development of Literate Potential in Literature-Based and…

The California Department of Education convened a task force to determine how the learning environment can be shaped to support statewide educational reforms designed to make California schools places of community pride that also help students excel. This two-part report outlines design implications common to all grade levels, as well as those…

A participatory research project examined the transformative process that a first-grade two-way Spanish immersion classroom underwent to build a community of learners. Drawing on a critical pedagogy framework, the teacher provided daily opportunities to engage young students in dialogue to develop their voices and created a literacy-rich…

The Simi Star Project, a collaborative grant among six southern California school districts (Simi Valley, Ventura, Oxnard, Santa Barbara, Orcutt, and Point Hueneme) and IBM, tested the effectiveness of computers in the classroom and the effects of integrating technology into the curriculum. Six networked computers were placed in kindergarten and…

The physical geography of the Los Angeles, California, area is composed of six natural regions: mountains, valleys, bays, rivers, a basin, and a peninsula. When the Spanish first explored the region they saw a fairly level plain, extending some miles back from the seacoast, with high mountains in the background. Most of the land near the ocean was…

The Arctic is covered with ice and snow for most of the year. Animals that live in Alaska's arctic region must be able to survive long winters and very cold temperatures. Surprisingly, many animals live in the harsh, cold climate. This first-grade activity plan helps students learn about the animals of the far north. The plan gives six steps for…

Reducing K-3 class size is highly recommended and broadly supported, though there are challenges with finding enough qualified teachers and providing enough classroom space. Research indicates that K-3 students in smaller classes do better academically, with minority and low-income students showing the greatest gains. The paper examines…