This book provides K-6 teachers with concrete examples and suggestions for infusing career and employability outcomes with the existing classroom activities. The introduction includes the philosophy and general goals for Career and Employability Outcomes from 1991 Michigan K-12 Program Standards for Quality. The second section describes a…

In the future, as societies become more technologically demanding and families find less time for socializing their young, the power of the early childhood educator (ECE) will grow. The role must be professionalized. First and foremost, child development knowledge must be the foundation of ECE expertise. Within the curriculum, the building of…

Graduate students enrolled in the play-based Curriculum Research Seminar at Pacific Oaks College (Pasadena) observed and wrote about how children began play and carried out various themes in early childhood settings, and how teachers encouraged or discouraged play themes. Findings indicated that some students related play to issues of bias,…

This paper recommends that rural education researchers adopt an ecological approach that acknowledges both family and community influences on child development and school outcomes. Although rural researchers have generated useful information about children, few studies have provided a full portrayal of rural children's lives. A fundamental…

Early childhood programs should be designed to serve the whole child's development within the context of the family and community. This is especially important for children who speak a language other than English at home. Programs must employ developmentally and culturally appropriate practices that respect individual differences and choices and…

This technical assistance paper presents information designed to assist school personnel in assessing the strengths and needs of children and planning developmentally appropriate curriculum strategies. The first topic addressed is assessment strategies, which include developmental screening, diagnostic instruments, teacher observation, parent…

This paper presents findings of a study that compared the social-adjustment levels of students who participated in a middle-school transition program with students who did not. The program, implemented at Whitewater Middle School in Fayette County, Georgia, was designed to ease elementary students into the middle school system. In the Shadow…

A small but increasing number of school-aged children are engaging in home schooling--pursuing learning at home or elsewhere in the community. This digest summarizes research findings on and issues around home schooling. It describes the historical roots of home schooling, the estimated number of participants, the constitutionality and legal…

Maternal and professional perspectives on the developmental, behavioral, and ecological status of children with disabilities and their families were compared, specifically examining the degree of congruence between maternal and professional estimates on various measures designed to assess child and family status. A review of 37 studies helped…

Recent educational research indicates that learners differ in their preferences for learning mode and strategies. Implications for instruction and assessment are discussed as they relate to the Theory of Multiple Intelligences of H. Gardner (1983). One of the principles of the "Learner Centered Psychological Principles" of the American…

This study examined the effectiveness of Project Spectrum, an intervention program for at-risk students and an approach to assessment and curriculum development that identifies a child's area of strength and constructs the education and learning experiences around the child's competencies. A total of 119 students in 6 first grade classrooms…

Translated into Spanish, this booklet is intended for parents of infants and preschoolers with visual impairments or blindness. The guide focuses on the parent's role in selecting an appropriate program and helping the child make a positive transition into the program. The first section looks at feelings about transitions and positive steps…

In order to increase statistical power, this study combined the data of three previous studies on the role of parent involvement in early intervention for children with disabilities. Each of the studies found a mixed pattern of positive results on child outcomes and, in two of the studies, on family outcomes. The combined subjects (n=181) had mild…

The incidence of multiple births has increased dramatically in the past two decades. Given this trend, it seems reasonable to assume that many teachers will have twins and other multiple siblings in their classes at some point in their classroom careers. This Digest offers some pointers for educators facing the challenges of educating multiples.…

An evaluation of the International Youth Leadership Institute (IYLI), summarized in this IUME Brief, helps fill the gaps in knowledge about how youth programs help Blacks and Latinos negotiate their adolescence and attempt to form an integrated sense of self. IYLI, founded in 1989, is an academic leadership development program for Black and Latino…