This paper presents an autobiographical account of a course, Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in the Elementary Classroom, with stories told by students in the class and by men from the film, "The Color of Fear." The paper focuses on how to use narrative to understand cultural diversity. (SM)

In this article, the author asserts that it is impossible for a person who does not love reading to be a good literacy teacher. She discusses the reasons her undergraduate preservice teaching students give for having given up on reading as a pleasurable activity, presents strategies her graduate students used to begin to enjoy reading, and offers…

After completing a unit of study entitled "Reading the Daily Newspaper" under the leadership of a teaching team consisting of student teachers and cooperating teachers, sixth-grade pupils wrote a newspaper for their parents describing their experiences in different curriculum areas in the classroom. Guided by the teaching team, student…

Although the value of reading to children has been well established, the merit of storytelling has only recently been recognized as a powerful means of developing language skills, self-concept, and self-esteem in children. Interactive, or participative storytelling, enables participants to tap into their creativity, enhance their powers of memory,…

This chapter considers the situation of special needs children who are seen as wrongly segregated due to federal, state, and local regulations, and identifies needed reforms and changes to remedy the problem. Presented from a social work perspective, the paper notes the trend toward mainstreaming of children with disabilities, children in Chapter…

Various agencies are attempting to meet the needs of latchkey children through programs run by parent alliances, community organizations, social service agencies, youth groups, schools, businesses, churches, and private day care centers. Studies of latchkey children during the past 15 years have concentrated on measuring the effects of self-care…

In a German study, students' descriptions of the processes in an electric circuit were related to the energy view as it is used in physics. (The representation of students' concepts describing the electric circuit is of importance because structured concepts may influence the perception and description of processes, the handling of electrical…

Four conference papers on discourse are included. In "How Context Contributes to the Interpretation of Temporal Expressions," Carlota S. Smith provides a summary analysis of the temporal interpretation of English sentences. Many sentences are shown to be semantically incomplete; it is argued that information from neighboring sentences is…

This book sketches the educational history of Mexican Americans and describes bilingual education as one way they can draw on their heritage and teach in bilingual elementary schools. Chapters are devoted to: (1) the profile of depressed educational achievement of the Mexican American and its attendant circumstances; (2) the bilingual school as a…

Presents some of the major concerns and challenges faced by parents, employers, and the community as a whole in providing quality after-school (and summer) child care programs for elementary school-aged ("latchkey") children. Adequately trained staff and activities providing for children's physical, emotional, and social needs are important. (BB)

The processes of learning about and exploring different vocations should begin in elementary school. Elementary school teachers and administrators planning career education must be careful to develop sequential objectives that are achievable, challenging, and tailored to students' interests. Elementary-level career education may emphasize separate…

A middle school teacher describes a situation where a student repeatedly stole money from her desk. Her response was to have a custodian hide, catch the student in the act, then have her suspended. Another teacher and a psychologist present their views of the situation, recommending alternative intervention and discipline. (SM)

Examined phonemic awareness and pseudoword decoding in kindergarten and first grade Arabic native children. Hypothesized that because Arabic speakers learn to read in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA)--a language structurally distinct from the local form of the language they grow up speaking--linguistic differences between the two varieties would…

Examines connections between diversity and disability in special education, noting increasing tendencies to locate special education under the umbrella of diversity. The paper maintains that the assumptions underlying disability are dramatically different from those supporting diversity and suggests that special educators transform their…

Examines educational needs of students who are learning disabled and gifted (LD/G), discussing their characteristics, problems encountered in working with them, referral and placement practices in place for them, and current instructional strategies. The paper notes that LD/G students need some special educational assistance to enable them to…