Preventing child abuse is an endeavor that requires equal parts of caring, optimism, and pragmatism. Drawing on the experiences of more than 100 child abuse prevention projects, this field-tested manual integrates the abstract principles of program development and prevention with the real world experiences and challenges faced by prevention…

This training manual and two companion videotapes comprise an educational program for professionals and paraprofessionals who work with young children with language disorders. The program is particularly helpful in serving children from linguistic minority backgrounds and their families. The program's strategies are also appropriate for teachers…

The Saginaw Prekindergarten Program is designed to provide 4-year-olds with an environment that will enable them to develop skills needed for future success in school, and to prepare inner city children for entry into kindergarten. The objectives of the program include specific achievements in 16 cognitive skills, psychomotor skills, and parental…

This KIDS COUNT Report details statewide trends in the well-being of Maine's children. The statistical portrait is based on a variety of indicators in the areas of: (1) physical and mental health; (2) social and economic opportunity; (3) education and learning; and (4) child health care access. The report contains a special section on Maine…

This unit was created and first taught by the author in the children's demonstration class that was part of the 1995 Teacher Educator Partnership Institute sponsored by the National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center (NFLRC) at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. The mission of the NFLRC is to improve student learning of foreign languages in…

This unit was created as a result of a summer institute sponsored by the National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. The Center's goal is to improve student learning of foreign languages in kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12). In the summer of 1996, the Center offered the Culture and Children's…

When Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1997, it authorized an evaluation to track progress at the state and local levels on the legislative goals of IDEA. The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) commissioned a national longitudinal study, the Study of State and Local…

The 11th Annual Building on Family Strengths Conference was held from May 6th through May 8th, 2004, in Portland, Oregon. Highlights included: (1) The revival of a pre-conference training session; this year featured "Understanding Research and Evaluation in Relation to Social Change," presented by Elaine Slaton and Shannon CrossBear of…

Reports a study that assessed changes in student teachers' attitudes toward inner-city teaching resulting from participation in a field-based practicum in an urban elementary school. Pre- and postpracticum surveys indicated that such experiences can yield positive results as long as certain crucial elements are in place. (SM)

A stress inventory administered to black women faculty at seven Botswana colleges and universities (n=201) found the greatest stressor to be student class boycotts, followed by uncertainties about their institution's future and dual roles. Almost two-thirds experienced fatigue. The most successful stress management technique was positive thinking.…

Examines the relative effectiveness of two different chemistry curricula. African American students enrolled in an inner-city high school who took ChemCom, a Science-Technology-Society-based science curriculum employing cooperative learning as an integral component, scored significantly higher gains on a standardized measure of chemistry…

Describes struggle of Maasai in Kenya and Tanzania to preserve migratory lifestyle while remaking their schooling system. Addresses goals, content and method, and outcomes for both indigenous and Western Maasai education. Considers educational implications for migratory lifestyles and recommends listening to, building trust with, and empowering…

Examines the impact of mass media on children's choices of heroes and role models. Addresses questions of which cultural messages children attend to, whether role models vary according to ethnicity and gender, and the role played by educators in exposing children to previously unconsidered role models. (DLH)

Outlines letter writing exercises for fifth grade social studies units on the U.S. Revolutionary War period. Students write letters as fictional and nonfictional historical characters from trade books described in article. Objectives include understanding viewpoints and historical events, writing to persuade, and share or seek information.…

Reviews the four articles in this special theme issue. Relates the articles to a broadened understanding of the concept of integration and its implications for education in the next century. (FMW)