A Family Geography Night (FGN) kit can be used to bring families together, teach about the world, give parents the opportunity to share their beliefs, and participate in the educational system while having fun! Geography is an essential element of twenty-first-century education. More than just maps, geography is the interaction of cultures,…

A local educational agency in St. Louis, the Citizenship Education Clearinghouse (CECH), works with schools to make real participation in community civic, governmental, and political affairs a possibility for students. Three CECH models for student participation in issues of national concern, in state politics, and in local issues are described.…

In 1978, the Administration for Children, Youth, and Families, through its Head Start program, designed and implemented the Basic Educational Skills (BES) project to foster Head Start children's readiness for school and their subsequent achievement in elementary school. The purpose of this document is to disseminate elementary-level BES materials.…

Newspaper media provide one way to motivate students' parents to be in tune with the whys, the hows, the wherefores, and the importance of reading. For example, in the Phoenixville Area School District (Pennsylvania), the reading department writes a monthly column for parents in the local newspaper. The column's topics are based on data gathered…

The model of motivational focus that is used as the basis for a number of educational programs called Application/Motivation Programs that have been developed at Harding School, in Rochester, New York, is discussed in this paper. The motivational model is described as including a sequence that involves self-choice, self-direction, personal…

Describes St. Maria Goretti School's Home/School-Read/Discuss program in which parent, teacher, and child sign a contract for leisure reading. Both parent and child read and discuss the selected books. Responsibilities of each participant are listed on the sample reading contract provided. (SJL)

Describes how the primary goal of the Parent Program was to constructively involve parents in their children's learning process. Notes how it gives them specific ideas and methods to assist their children in literacy acquisition. Hopes that the program will get materials in the homes that students might need while doing homework and get more…

The valuable role that predoctoral dental and dental hygiene student involvement in specialized hospital programs can play in the educational process is described. The University of Maryland Dental School program emphasizes the involvement of students in major clinical research related to cancer patients. (Author/MLW)

Describes a reading program being used in Akron Public Schools in which students in Chapter 1 classes and their parents participate in paired reading on a daily basis to improve their child's reading ability and confidence. (MG)

Describes Panther Paw Press, a school-based publishing program that is built on the efforts of teachers, parents, students, and a succession of supportive school principals. Discusses the details that make this publishing program work framed in the six goals articulated in the Panther Paw Press Handbook. (SR)

The "Writing Buddies" program is designed to allow students from one grade level to write, edit, publish, share, and celebrate their success with peers from another grade level. Students also benefit from the strengths of two teachers and parent volunteers. The role of the teacher is to provide the atmosphere conducive to writing, and to…

Offers six suggestions for teaching reading, including forming reading clubs, using story folders, and devising a parent involvement program. (AEA)

Describes a parent volunteer tutoring program, called "Reading Together," that is run by members of the community, and that provides opportunities for kindergarten and pre-first-grade children to read and write in a playful environment. (SR)

Program materials and a brief description of a remedial reading program for grades 3-6 which uses contests to motivate reading at home are presented. The program uses bulletin board displays to keep track of student progress in the contests. The contests operate as follows: (1) students select a name for their figure on the bulletin board; (2)…

For children from low-resource backgrounds, a literacy-rich preschool experience with a skilled and engaged teacher can offset risk factors and lay the groundwork for lifelong academic success. Now schools can ensure effective early literacy instruction with this field-tested, research-based curriculum for children 3 to 5 years of age. These 41…