"Alphabetização" (literacy) of young children involves a school exclusively devoted to the early years, parental participation, and teachers specialized in early literacy. This is the basis of José Carani's proposal for an "escola familia" in the municipality of Cambé (Brazil). This "Note from the Field," based on our…

In order to better understand literacy coaches' impact on teachers, the authors analyzed interviews with 35 teachers who participated in a statewide professional development effort, the South Carolina Reading Initiative. For 3 years, literacy coaches facilitated bimonthly study groups for teachers and spent 4 days a week in teachers' classrooms…

Some high achievers are not as easy to engage. Sometimes motivating high achievers is "a matter of being more sensitive to what they are interested in," says Don Ambrose, a professor of education at Rider University in New Jersey. But too often classrooms are not set up for that kind of sensitivity. Research shows that schools are…

Explores elementary children's ideas about insects using 20 K-5 students. Investigates what an insect means to children through the use of three different tasks: (1) draw and explain; (2) interview about instances; and (3) formulation of a general rule. (Contains 31 references.) (Author/YDS)

Strategy for developing and implementing an environmental education program in grades K-12 is proposed in this booklet. Its goal is to help students become environmentally educated decision-makers; to understand the importance of relating ecological, economic, social, technological, and political information when working toward the solution of…

Discusses a problem that exists in the gap between technology integration in curricula and technology and infrastructure availability, which poses a problem for both preservice and inservice teachers and their students. Considers how teachers have begun to use computers not only as a diagnostic or remedial tool, but also as a part of their…

The philosophy, major constraints, and strategy for curriculum development and implementation of a K-12 environmental education program are reviewed in this draft. Its purpose is to draw together some basic ideas and pertinent questions from leading educators, the literature, and successful environmental education programs, in an effort to provide…

If discussion of English primary curriculum is ever to develop from its present impressionistic state, it needs to develop a greater concern with the detail of organization and interaction, with the day-to-day commonplace of teaching, and with the conceptual models held by typical teachers. (CS)

Presents research on gifted children in primary science. Discusses the implications of the research for the identification of students gifted in science and for preparing a successful science curriculum for these students. (DDR)

Examines shortcomings of the predominant elementary social studies curriculum approach, expanding environments. Analyzes a fourth-grade text to illustrate the ways that materials reinforce this approach. Suggests that freeing the curriculum from the developmental theory of expanding environments would foster a variety of organizational patterns…

This practicum paper presents a thematic K-12 social studies curriculum to meet an expressed need of social studies teachers of a school corporation to upgrade the teaching of social studies. The teachers wanted the subject to be more relevant to students' lives and to incorporate a more holistic approach. Content overview of the K-12 currriculum…

Provides educational planners with relevant, up-to-date information concerning the values and benefits of using industrial arts activities in grades K-6. Strategies for future curriculum modifications are suggested. (TA)

Suggests strategies and activities related to energy education at the elementary level. The author stresses that learning experiences must be interdisciplinary and based on social and scientific information and concepts. (KC)

Focuses on how to include movement education into the music classroom. Discusses the techniques developed by three movement specialists: (1) Edwin Gordon's Continuous Fluid Motion (CFM); (2) Rudolf von Laban's effort/flow elements; and (3) Phyllis Weikart's taxonomy of movement. Includes a bibliography of resources. (CMK)

Presents the results of an international comparative study into the status of environmental education. Concludes that the current provisions for environmental education for primary children in Nigeria are insufficient for the development of national programs. Contains 17 references. (DDR)