Presented is the stage-set design approach to classroom environment, in which the classroom is designed as a stage so that learning experiences and situations may become life-related and purposeful. (BD)

Maintains that the arrangement of a classroom's physical environment is part of the early childhood curriculum. Discusses characteristics of classroom environments that promote children's cooperation, sense of trust, independence, involvement, and acquisition of concepts and skills. (LB)

Examines the efforts of an elementary school in Iowa to combine Basic School and multi-age instruction. Quotes from teachers to describe how (trying not just to educate children but to teach them how to manage their own education) the school's curriculum is structured around big ideas and broad concepts that provide multiple entry points for the…

Discusses the organization and operation of multi-age classrooms in an elementary school in Nevada. Describes how teachers working with primary classrooms of first and second graders, and intermediate classrooms of third, fourth, and fifth graders, created an adaptive, flexible, and dynamic curriculum that could serve the needs of their…

This publication is part of a series of monographs on the art of teaching. Each volume, focusing on a specific discipline, explores theory in the context of teaching strategies connected to evaluation of both teachers' and students' learning. Three techniques are offered for use of the guide: dialogues (as self-evaluation and in study groups),…

Educational technology tends to be characterized by a lack of targets; therefore, it is time for education to define its targets in aspiring to the school of the future and consider the option of calling in experts from other fields to help in problem solving. This paper predicts that while classroom design may not change too much, classrooms will…

"Written with the teacher's imagination in mind," this seven-chapter career education booklet's aim is to help teachers reorganize classroom activities. The booklet stresses: "One small step by teachers who thoughtfully plan...what they teach is worth more to a school system than a highly polished superstructure that is difficult to…

Designed for teachers and others involved in the development of early childhood education programs, the resource guide presents a model for teaching children, ages four through seven. Part 1 presents a brief overview of the growth and background of early childhood education in Maryland. Part 2 traces the origins and development of kindergarten…

This paper argues that progressive pedagogy is a viable alternative to more limited basic skill approaches to school reform. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data collected during the fourth year of a 7-year multi-site school reform initiative in a besieged urban district, the paper documents ways in which teachers have dramatically altered…

There is a growing consensus among educators that a major reason why traditional curriculum approaches have failed is that they are not based on knowledge of what is age-appropriate or individually appropriate for young children. This book provides practitioners with a practical framework for making curriculum effective and responsive for children…

Intended to help teachers of young children prepare for diversity among their students, this early childhood education textbook focuses on the integration of assessment and learning as an interactive process; and the integration of curriculum and instruction to be age-, group-, and individually-appropriate. The introductory chapter discusses…

This handbook is a resource for preschool curriculum planning. Chapter 1, "Begin with Yourself," provides checklists, comparative charts, and guiding questions for self-assessment of knowledge and experiences. Chapter 2, "Revitalizing the Environment," provides tools to assess the learning environment and makes suggestions…

School restructuring movements have gained a great deal of national attention. This guidebook addresses the multi-age classroom movement, in which a mixed-age group of children stays with a given teacher for a number of years. The work provides a complete design for the mixed-age primary classroom, from philosophy and rationale to sample lesson…

Presenting models based on the philosophies of Carl Rogers, John Dewey, Erich Fromm, and Jean-Paul Sartre, this paper proposes a philosophical approach to education and concludes with pragmatic suggestions concerning teaching based on a fully-functioning-person model. The fully-functioning person is characterized as being open to experience,…