The school curriculum has been under scrutiny in an attempt to improve the educational experiences of children, often in the form of federal and state control to make schools accountable for students' education. The goal of standardization is to increase minimum standards in all classrooms and to make sure that all students receive a foundation of…

This document outlines some resources that may be helpful to school guidance counselors and other educators. Five resources are described for the elementary school years when children's natural curiosity and openness can be channelled into understanding themselves and others as well as learning about the meaning of work and the types of work…

This issue of the journal contains abstracts and critiques of ten research reports. They address such topics as: (1) characterizing the Van Hiele levels of development in geometry; (2) children's ideas about commutativity in the early elementary arithmetic program; (3) two children's anticipations, beliefs and motivations about mathematics; (4) a…

The study described in this book examined at close range the experiences of 12 elementary school students (enrolled in two schools) who were considered at-risk within the context of their specific classroom and school. The meaning of at-risk status to the teachers and other school personnel is determined, and the interaction between the context…

Ten studies investigating the relationship between instructional time and achievement on elementary school reading and mathematics tests were reviewed. The studies involved general classroom research, instructional time research, and attention research. The review indicated that the relationship between academic achievement and instructional time…

The need for a course of study to prepare museum educators for their work resulted in this book of reports and case studies in museum education. Conceived during a meeting of the Council on Museum Education in 1972, the project was supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, D.C., federal agencies, and several…

A review of the research literature on parents as teachers yields several conclusions concerning the context and function of the family in the child's learning and development: (1) the parent-as-educator functions in the context of a complex family eco-system which interfaces efficiently or inefficiently with other systems, such as the school; (2)…

This report synthesizes case studies of women teachers in rural areas of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. In each country, interviews and focus groups were conducted in selected states and districts with administrators and women teachers in rural elementary schools, as well as policymakers and community members. Following an introduction to…

This paper reviews research on principals' and teachers' roles in site-based decision making (SBDM). Research examining teacher participation in SBDM is reviewed, finding that higher quality teaching behaviors and higher student academic attainment resulted from teacher participation. The review focuses on steps in implementing SBDM, means for…

This brief document provides information about the nationwide reading initiative, Reading First, in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Reading First is a focused effort to improve reading skills of students in kindergarten through third grade. First, information is provided on unique characteristics of the Reading First program and requirements…

Noting ongoing difficulties in identifying the fundamental role of social studies in educating young children, this chapter focuses on how children begin to develop historical and geographic understanding. The chapter considers age-appropriate and developmental concerns and the role of national standards in history and geography. The chapter…

Section One of this report describes art education as it exists in American schools. Section Two discusses societal factors adversely affecting art education. Section Three examines National Endowment policy for improving art education. Section Four discusses deceptive panaceas for such improvement. Section Five provides recommendations for…

Research is reviewed on cognitive interventions which affect children's self-control. Five types of effective manipulations are discussed: self-verbalization; external verbalization; affect manipulation; cognitive transformation; and manipulation of attention. Self-control behaviors include modification of impulsive behaviors; delay of…

Three case studies of changes in civics education, social studies, and liberal studies (emphasizing critical thinking about controversial issues) demonstrate that Hong Kong's political transition to Chinese sovereignty has significantly affected the intended curriculum but not the implemented curriculum, which has been strongly influenced by…

Reviews research on elementary school students' capacity for historical understanding. Suggests Piagetian theory is not applicable to historical thinking. Considers teaching approaches for developing elementary history instruction, including (1) embedding history in meaningful context; (2) use of narrative; (3) linking past and present; and (4)…