Education researchers working in sub-Saharan Africa have recently and rapidly expanded the availability of evidence related to the impact of educational interventions on learning outcomes, particularly in preprimary and lower primary education (Ganimian & Murnane, 2016; McEwan, 2015; Popova, Evans, & Arancibia, 2016). Awareness that…

From her study of traditional and open-plan British infant schools, the author shows how school buildings and playgrounds can express social and educational principles by controlling freedom of access; the destruction of defenses by open plan architecture being countered, on occasion, by creation of new defenses by teachers. (Editor/SJL)

The article describes ways to encourage effective classroom computer use. Setup of the computer corner is crucial. A friendly corner should include things like explanatory posters, disk boxes, a digital clock, earphones, a timer, chairs, and a wheeled cart. A sign-up sheet encourages efficient scheduling, which is also critical. (SM)

An award-winning Alaskan elementary school is designed to blend into the landscape; capture as much winter daylight as possible; and generally accommodate safety, flexibility, practicality, and whimsy. In a sidebar, the architect explains the importance of architect/educator collaboration in designing a building that supports an educational…

Argues that traditional classroom practices and educational policies constitute an assault on children. Among the practices considered are standardized testing, homogeneous grouping, drill, fragmented curricula, and restrictions on peer interaction in the classroom. (Author/DB)

Article discusses (1) implications of understanding children's functional language competence for assessment and evaluation, (2) application of this understanding to preparation of teaching materials and design of curricula, and (3) recognition of children's language as a viable system of its own rather than an incomplete rendition of the adult…

The economic and physical realities of an energy shortage have caused many educators to consider alternative sources of energy when constructing their schools. This book contains studies and designs by fifth-year architecture students concerning the proposed construction of a zero energy-use elementary school in Albany, Oregon. "Zero energy…

Details about an investigation into the nature of the mathematics curriculum at the elementary level and suggestions about ways to improve existing programs are the focus of this material. It is noted that there appeared to be a great gulf between the type of instruction typically provided and the type viewed as the best possible to provide, with…

The elements of design (line, shape, color, value, and texture) are the artist's lexicon rather than words, and the meaning of these elements is carried in their expressive properties in picture books as well as in paintings. Line can convey repose when horizontal, stability if vertical, and action when diagonal or curving. The element of shape…

Outlines the following information regarding the new National Endowment for the Arts Arts-in-Education Program: (1) background, (2) themes, (3) structures, (4) immediate next steps for members of the arts education community, (5) important principles for a particular group of arts educators, and (6) initial comprehensive planning questions. (JD)

Presents factors crucial to the success of the combination classroom: planning, teacher selection, student selection, parent support, and schoolwide support. (MD)

In Exemplary Center for Reading Instruction (ECRI) classrooms, teachers are given directives for teaching and testing literal, inferential, critical, and creative comprehension to help students understand what they read. (Author/MLF)

Teachers can improve student learning by using test-like questions and other systematic procedures derived from learning theory and research. (Author)

One elementary school program approaches technology activities involving design and construction that enables students to premodel designs using a commercial instructional package produced by LEGO. (JOW)

Discusses four philosophies of education (existentialism, realism, experimentalism, and idealism) and their implications for the reading curriculum. (SR)