The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Students Are Speaking." Contents include: (1) Books Are for Learning, Not…

As families get together for various brands of holiday merry-making, parents of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (GLBTQ) youth can play a key role in making these gatherings more comfortable for their kids. This brief article offers tips on ways to handle various social and family situations over the holidays to make this time…

This newsletter issue discusses time management techniques for parents of special needs children. Techniques include changing one's attitudes about perfection, prioritizing tasks, having a back-up plan, learning to say "no," asking for help, keeping things simple, hiring others, using waiting time wisely, and doing two things at once. Household…

Strategies are presented for providing positive values education through the process of receiving toys as holiday gifts, without detracting from the enjoyment of receiving and using the toys. Children can learn responsibility and property management skills by taking inventory, categorizing, and evaluating toys. (PB)

Parent Teacher Associations can promote acceptance and appreciation of cultural differences by commemorating ethnic observances. Background information and suggested activities are presented for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday; Chinese New Year and Tet; Black History Month; Pan American Day; Cinco de Mayo; Asian-Pacific American Heritage Week;…

Opportunities for parents to encourage reading in the family are noted and ways to enhance the reading experience are discussed, including writing letters to book characters, singing combined with reading aloud, supplementing school subjects with enjoyable reading, sharing books at family gatherings, and using family experiences for book…

This is a resource guide for observing and celebrating special days according to the traditions of many cultures. It brings together the experience and activities of persons from many religions--Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, and the Sikh religion--and draws on diverse backgrounds from many parts of the world. The context is…

The legacies of all cultures can be found in their creations--their arts, their celebrations, and their traditions. This book is designed to help educators introduce students to the diversity of people around the world through creative, hands-on activities based on cultural traditions. It offers teachers, librarians, and parents access to 28,000…

Intended for teachers of preschool and up, this book combines three favorite pastimes: reading great books, exploring related activities, and cooking. The book lists 36 books relating to a holiday or observation, beginning with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and ending with New Year's Eve. It summarizes each featured book and gives a related…

Providing a low-key, nonthreatening way for teachers and parents to build partnerships for kids, this book presents short, concrete activities in English and Spanish to foster communication between teachers and parents and between parents and children. While the activities in the book are designed for grade 2, none of the activities have…

Drawing from the experiences of two early childhood educators, this book offers hundreds of fun and inexpensive ideas for grandparents to use in making memories with their grandchildren. Tips are geared for each stage of child development and include ways to grandparent, from next door or across many miles. The book contains anecdotes on…

Noting that parents are their children's first teachers, this book presents activities to help parents prepare their children for school. The chapters are: (1) "Getting Started," which discusses chores, hobbies, television viewing, socialization, preschool, learning styles, supplies, work area, and motivation; (2) "Reading,"…

Based on the clinical expertise of social workers at Jewish Family Services of Central Maryland, this book presents practical advice for parents of all faiths, with each of 34 chapters exploring a specific parenting issue. The book is divided into five sections: (1) "Many Kinds of Families," dealing with only children, sibling struggles,…

This book is a collection of activities, stories, ideas, and games designed to help adults and young children develop a shared awareness of their environment. The material is presented in eight chapters. Activities and stories are interwoven throughout each chapter to provide a holistic view of the topic covered. The end of each chapter contains…