Spring is the season when thousands of creased cardboard pests can be found lodged under the armpits of students and teachers as they observe the educational rite of spring known as the school science fair. A recent visit to a local school's gymnasium to witness one of these events reminded the authors of why they so dislike science fairs. In this…

Kindergarten has changed significantly in the last two decades: children now spend more time being taught and tested on literacy and math skills than they do learning through play and exploration, exercising their bodies, and using their imaginations. Many kindergartens use highly prescriptive curricula geared to new state standards and linked to…

This guide is a resource for K-8 teachers, college student tutors, parents, and others engaged in learning activities to help primary, elementary, and middle school students learn mathematics and science. It presents a collection of activities adapted from printed and electronic sources which help motivate student interest in mathematics and…

Studying pets fosters children's natural curiosity about the world around them and encourages them to use their five senses. This cross-curricular guide provides opportunities for children to build concepts by introducing them to a variety of household pets beginning with cats and dogs, and including mice, gerbils, hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs,…

Teachers and parents must foster students' creative problem solving, flexibility, and comfort with principles in math by providing experiences relating to everyday life. Math reform expands learning so children can form and explain mathematical processes independently. The paper examines how parents can become partners in their children's math…

Parents and teachers can help children enjoy the benefits of visiting museums. While school tours are important, family visits are invaluable. Drawing real benefits from visiting museums requires in-depth family visits. The article discusses the advantages of children's museums, examines learning within museums, and presents tips for visiting…

The Individualized Critical Skills Model (ICSM) is an individualized, systematic instructional process that emphasizes teaching severely handicapped learners relevant skills in the environment in which they would naturally occur. The manual is divided into three sections. The first section discusses the historical perspective of the ICSM and gives…

Some children hold the belief that insects and spiders are all mere nuisances because they have never had opportunities to observe, study, and learn to appreciate how these animals live and carry out their purposes in life. Studying insects and spiders fosters children's natural curiosity about the world around them and encourages them to use…

Designed for teachers of students in grades 2 through 4, this teaching guide for a self-teaching, interdisciplinary reading and activity program comprises a complete supplemental reading, science, and social studies approach to the problems of environmental pollution. Jelly Jam, a caring little animal, helps children understand how air, water, and…

Providing suggestions for parents and teachers, this anecdotal collection of an early childhood educator's experiences and insights emphasizes the importance of developing the decision-making capabilities of young children. Fundamentally, the discussion asserts that one of the major responsibilities of adults is to give children freedom to learn…

Most people think of nature in the city as parks and zoos and dandelions pushing up through cracks in the sidewalk, but it is also asphalt streets, granite office buildings and mazes of underground pipes and cables. The materials of which the streets and buildings are constructed began as prehistoric jungles and ancient mountains. The systems that…

Focusing on the use of common, everyday materials that can be obtained for free or purchased inexpensively, this document was developed to provide classroom teachers, youth leaders, camp counselors and parents with ideas and activities in science. A major emphasis is placed on "starter" activities, which are designed to encourage…

Promoting community awareness and understanding of the issues encompassed within the teaching and learning of school mathematics, and involving parents in their children's mathematics education are the first steps toward the goal that every child must gain mathematical power. This document helps to answer some of the most frequent questions that…