Although the number of homeschool students in the United States has increased to approximately 2 million K-12 students as of spring 2010, there has been limited research on homeschool families and physical education. In particular, investigations of parent perceptions of homeschool physical education programs are lacking. The purpose of this study…

Many schools and out-of-school organizations use social-emotional learning (SEL) programs to boost students' skills. Yet research shows that these programs can be difficult to implement and don't always meet students' needs. In response, Rebecca Bailey, Laura Stickle, Gretchen Brion-Meisels, and Stephanie Jones propose a new approach to SEL…

Swimming is considered by many to be a significant form of physical activity with many health benefits. Few opportunities exist for African American youth to participate in programs focused on providing developmentally appropriate swim instruction, due in part to a lack of aquatic facilities and programs in urban schools and communities. In an…

Few alcohol prevention programs focus on elementary school-aged youth, yet children develop expectancies and norms about alcohol use during the elementary school years, and many elementary school children are allowed to have sips or tastes of alcohol at home. Research on consequences of early alcohol use indicates that it can put children at…

Uses the example of a fourth-grade class working to have the firefly declared as Pennsylvania's state insect to highlight the effectiveness of dynamic social studies in elementary school. Discusses how dynamic social studies maintains a balance between seriousness and fun by offering a blend of variety, active involvement, and excitement while…

Presents directors of child care programs with ideas and examples for expanding the program to include the care of school age children. (BB)

Whether the transition to primary school is smooth or abrupt for children depends on whether early childhood and elementary school programs work together to build bridges between their services. This report presents several examples of collaborative efforts to smooth the transition to school. Specifically, it describes how various elements of five…

An early childhood resource teacher implemented a practicum intervention designed to improve the school attendance of at-risk kindergartners and first and second graders in a low-income, inner-city area in central Florida. The intervention involved the transformation of self-contained, graded classrooms into primary units comprised of multi-age…

Presents an account of the project approach used by American first graders to study Japan. (BB)

Recognizing that primary education needed to be changed in order to make it research-based and developmentally appropriate, a group of teachers in Wyoming developed a multi-age, team-taught class, called the Primary Education Program. The first year's class included 3 teachers and 60 students in kindergarten through first grade, and the second…

Discusses the use of time and space in primary classrooms, referring to what is known about how young children learn best. Discusses four steps to organizing the classroom. (BB)

Developing mathematical talent at the elementary level is a complex issue--one that is influenced by many components. The three main factors are: (1) levels of Math giftedness; (2) teacher background; and (3) appropriate resource materials. Keeping these issues in mind and knowing that each district and, indeed, each student is unique, this…

Focuses on the problems and conflicts experienced by a teacher intern who was attempting to implement a developmentally appropriate discovery curriculum into a direct-instruction primary grade classroom. (BB)

Act 619 of the 1984 Louisiana legislative session initiated the State-Funded Program for High-Risk Four-Year-Olds, which is intended to improve the school readiness of preschool students. This document is the program evaluation report for 1990 and 1991. Part 1 of the report is a comprehensive program description which provides information on: (1)…

While most of the dialogue in education today is about accountability, standardized testing, and adequate yearly progress, the truth is that student success is deeply connected to the physical, emotional, and cognitive needs that they have at different ages. The best schools already know this and follow practices that are academically engaging and…