Helps elementary educators understand and promote social interactions and social competence in inclusive settings, specifically those that include students with learning disabilities and mild to moderate levels of mental retardation. Focuses on social outcomes of inclusion, teacher's attitudes, theoretical perspectives, and areas of social…

Details position of the Association for Childhood Education International regarding best practice for child-centered middle schools. Makes recommendations regarding curriculum, instructional practices and learning environment, guidance and counseling, textbooks and materials, teacher qualifications, and administrative and community support. (KB)

What kinds of learning should be provided for a four- or five-year-old child who is beginning a school experience? First, he should have extended opportunity to explore the physical world. He should be helped to become increasingly sensitive to the world in which he lives. We want to provide full opportunity for doing and making. We want to…

Discusses the need of young adolescents to belong to their own culture wherein they can attain peer status and achievement. Presents a project in Castle Hill School (Pittsburgh) as an example of helping urban young adolescents to build a culture of achievement. Emphasizes the importance of this culture for young adolescents who cannot separate…

Reviews research on literature discussion groups, which suggests that groups allow readers to bring personal experiences to and take meaning from books, and young readers come to deeper levels of understanding. Discusses the use of literature groups in a kindergarten classroom, focusing on the teacher's use of and responses to literature, and the…

Presents an interview with Dr. John H. Lounsbury, Dean Emeritus at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, and publications editor for the National Middle School Association. Issues discussed include changes in young adolescents' education; the influence of societal changes, educational reform, and technological development in the…

Describes the founding and role of the nonprofit organization Udbhas, which promotes literacy among children in the slums of Calcutta while providing a level of food, clothing, and social and educational experiences generally absent from their homes. Discusses the children's background and identifies problems in bringing learning to these…

Annotates selected ERIC documents and journal articles discussing issues related to developmentally appropriate practice (DAP). Topics include DAP in early childhood and elementary settings and regular and special education, the current debate regarding DAP and multicultural education, student evaluation, teachers' and parents' beliefs regarding…

Summarizes 11 ERIC documents and journal articles on teaching conflict resolution to students, particularly students in the middle grades. Includes discussions of conflict among students and strategies for dealing with violence in schools, descriptions of conflict resolution programs and projects implemented in schools, and an analysis of the…

Discusses the needs for restructuring the curriculum, instruction and environment of middle schools to better meet the needs of learners and teachers. Suggests that most reform today is moving toward a developmentally appropriate, child-centered approach. Issues under consideration include a definition of developmentally appropriate programs at…

Introduces this theme issue's articles, which provide a variety of frameworks for understanding and action in relation to the crisis in child and adolescent mental health. Further emphasizes the challenge to provide resources for all children and to provide ideas for the integration of information between education and mental health professionals.…

The MLE Learning Center, a publicly funded day care center and after-school program in Brooklyn, New York, helps children develop awareness of a global community by using local resources to teach the children about the rainforest. (LB)

Examines the role of cultural background on children's education opportunities. Suggests that today's diverse, heterogeneous societies demand culturally responsive education practices and programs that can actively engage young learners and help them build upon their own sense of identity. Calls for the development of early childhood education…

Maintains that an overhaul of the public educational system is necessary to meet the needs of all students, including poor and minority students. (BB)

Describes struggle of Maasai in Kenya and Tanzania to preserve migratory lifestyle while remaking their schooling system. Addresses goals, content and method, and outcomes for both indigenous and Western Maasai education. Considers educational implications for migratory lifestyles and recommends listening to, building trust with, and empowering…