Although many educators believe that learning to read and write Mandarin Chinese is not easy (because of the complexities of its characters and grammar), it is common to find voracious and expert young readers in the early elementary school levels in Taiwan. The Chinese educational system is governed by a uniform curriculum and nationalized…

This position paper describes a concrete strategy to establish early warning systems or diagnostic instruments at the lower elementary school level in United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) schools. The strategy described is designed to assess the quality of literacy and numeracy skills and to provide criteria for a realistic minimum…

This paper examines some cultural misconceptions about young adolescents, describes the outcomes of this distortion, and offers suggestions for the ways in which curriculum can begin to liberate and empower them. Given that early adolescents in the United States are neglected, ignored, stereotyped, and negatively affected by certain social forces,…

An English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) educator of migrant students in a rural county in Oregon used a whole-language approach to language and reading instruction. Although reading instruction in Spanish was preferred, lack of Spanish-speaking personnel and limited ESL instructional time prohibited that approach. In whole-language ESL, the teacher…

The present national educational reform movement offers an unprecedented opportunity to integrate innovative policy options and technical knowledge with concerns about equity and fairness. Philosophically, most Americans subscribe to the idea of fairness in education, but pragmatically the concept of fairness has eluded American schools for some…

This monograph is organized in three main sections addressing problems, promising practices, and equitable procedures low cost in the identification of students with gifted potential. The first section considers problems in identification. These include: (1) elitist and distorted definitions of giftedness, (2) confusion about purposes of…

This paper provides an analysis of inclusion as it relates to national goals, national standards, and national tests for students with disabilities. Concerning the six national education goals specified in Goals 2000, the paper finds that the primary data collection programs used to document progress toward the goals exclude 40 to 50 percent of…

Worldwide enrollment in primary education has grown from 332 million in 1960 to 593 million in 1988. Despite this increase, a sizable proportion of primary school-age children in developing countries are not enrolled in school. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 56 million students are enrolled in primary education, but 38 million (49%) of the region's…

The articles in this monograph are centered around a common concern: barriers created by career sex-stereotyping and the input of such stereotyping during the early years of a child's life. The first group of articles is composed of five discussion papers that provide insight into stereotyping existing in language, careers, toys, books, media, and…

This paper, a response to questions raised on state and local levels on reading in kindergarten, deals with insights required to teach early reading rather than daily reading activities for children. Sections briefly discussed are: A view of reading as a communication process; the importance of teacher sensitivity to individual differences in…

Presents elementary school children's poetry about a variety of scientific topics. Indicates that children make no false dichotomy between science and poetry. (JK)

After arguing that there are substantial advantages to incorporating student play as a learning strategy in educational reform, the paper defines play, notes common misconceptions about play, examines reasons why children play, describes types of play, and looks at the function, outcome, and benefits of play. (SM)

Two essays present opposing viewpoints on school uniforms. One suggests that uniforms make safer schools and better students. The other states that teenagers will rebel, and the uniform debate is a diversion from more pressing problems in education. The article includes brief opinion statements from teachers and other professionals. (SM)

The common ground approach to religion in public schools includes government neutrality toward religion and provides an equitable civic framework for all groups. Schools are legally obligated to accommodate students' religious needs whenever possible. This article presents guidelines about what teachers and students can and cannot do in certain…

Argues that one flaw in America's school system that inhibits it from preparing students for successful futures is the unidimensional representation of students only by their achievements. Contends just as much attention needs to be given to students as social beings. (GR)