This essay aims to map uses and attributions of the word "appropriate" as they occur in various disciplines related to children's literature. Three competing interest areas--publishing, education, and societal ideologies--provide insight as to how "appropriate" developed into an abstract cover-word for a variety of outside…

This article emphasizes the importance of introducing/providing character education during the early years of child development in order to raise morally responsive citizens. Noting the rampant acts of violence and malicious crime at a time marked with deep global turmoil in many societies, the authors argue for an exhaustive study of the recently…

This discussion of self-determination in young children with severe disabilities first offers a definition of self-determination and then looks at the early roots of self-determination from a developmental perspective. The article explores the relationship of (1) skills associated with self-determination and (2) practices, curriculum, and…

Uninformed of the power of play as an educational tool, many people view play as a waste of time and call for a return to teaching basic academic skills during the period of early childhood. This chapter demonstrates that play is a major vehicle for learning, focusing on the dynamics of sociodramatic interaction that are integral to understanding…

The many ways social studies is taught and learned in elementary and secondary schools across Canada are examined. There are five parts. Part 1, "The Nature of the Social Studies," discusses what social studies is, describes the educational history of Canadian social studies, and examines the need and techniques for implementing a global…