Reports one child-care teacher's experiences in helping troubled young children. Discusses the techniques she uses to reach the children and engage them in play, her attitudes and beliefs concerning children, and her stress on working with the children's parents. (BB)

Reports on study of use of fractal geometry in a computer graphics program to improve the perception of intermediate grade level students in their paintings. Finds that students are more likely to use changing shapes and colors after viewing slides of fractal computer graphics. Concludes that fractal computer graphics would make highly engaging…

Explores interconnected movements to restructure school-family and school-community relationships, focusing on increased parental involvement in school governance, instructional partnerships, school-to-community outreach, and children's service coordination. Emphasizes the national crisis in urban children's lives, complementary societal…

Discusses efforts to coordinate services (mental health services in particular) for children and families, and reports initial findings of research by the Youth Law Center to identify specific characteristics of effective coordination programs. Sixteen characteristics of effective coordinated service programs have been identified. (SLD)

Reviews concerns about school-linked services programs, exploring institutional-based versus community-based models of service delivery. It is argued that the community is the appropriate context for providing and facilitating access to services and opportunities. Too strong an institutional bias runs the risk of limiting access and community…

Presents an annotated bibliography of books about the voyages of Christopher Columbus for children, preschool to grade seven. Notes that the five hundredth anniversary of the Columbus voyages will occur in 1992 and encourages teachers to anticipate the national commentoration and develop appropriate learning activities. (NL)

Maintains that primary school teachers should increase the emphasis on narrative and expository textual experiences. Children should be exposed to a variety of reading experiences through a classroom library, the practice of reading aloud, and children's magazines. (BB)

Asserts that the whole-language approach is a philosophy of learning in which children construct knowledge by actively engaging in classroom projects that have real meaning for them. Describes thematic studies using a whole-language approach in which children (with teacher assistance) decide what themes will be studied. (CFR)

The B. F. Day Elementary School in Seattle (Washington) exemplifies positive changes that can be made with principal leadership and teacher involvement. The school is one of six Seattle urban schools receiving federal and state support for educating homeless children under the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. (SLD)

Asserts that history for primary-level children should be organized around key ideas that characterize the field of history. Maintains that such everyday concepts such as time, change, the continuity of human life, and the past can be taught to young children and can be used as a foundation for later historical thinking. (CFR)

Describes two initiatives of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to help children become life-long readers. The AFT/Chrysler Learning Connection Reading Grants program awards grants to schools for family involvement reading programs. The booklet "Helping Your Child Learn to Read" contains activities parents can use. Some booklet…

Maintains that social studies teachers have used the traditions associated with civic and religious holidays to teach about historical events and culture. Asserts that holidays are becoming more culturally diverse. Presents a bibliographic essay including recommended children's literature on both religious and secular holidays. (CFR)

Presents four articles for elementary teachers. The first shows how teachers can guide students to write stories from personal experiences. The second offers suggestions for mathematics instruction, focusing on primary level geometry and intermediate level problem solving. The third focuses on folk-art barn paintings. The fourth uses pumpkins to…

The mental health needs of children and youth with learning disabilities and their families were studied in a survey of 79 human services directors in the Toronto (Canada) area. The study illustrates the importance of involving relevant communities in planning for community needs assessment and program implementation. (SLD)

Educators in four Canadian provinces were surveyed to determine their knowledge of rights in educational matters. There was considerable self-confessed ignorance among the 1,137 respondents, with only 5 of the 14 questions answered correctly by a majority. Differences in responses of rural and urban educators and teachers from denominational and…