This paper analyzes the implications of a school's physcial environment for children's development. Its purpose is to draw the attention of educators to the implications of the physical environment for the child's development and to invite them to participate in the process whereby the design program of schools is formulated. The paper presents…

The third manual in the set of six manuals for training Head Start staff presents workshop module information on child development, social services, and parent involvement. The four child development workshops focus on (1) ways to plan for and group children to meet their individual needs, (2) teacher-child interactions that foster cognitive…

Relevant research literature does not generally support the notion that class size is a significant variable in learner achievement. This, if true, may be the result of various factors. Although teachers believe that they alter their teaching strategies for different class sizes, this may not be the case. More likely is the possibility that…

This booklet collects seven papers drawing on research performed through the Communication Skills Center for Young Children with Deaf Blindness of the Oregon State System of Higher Education and its affiliated sites. Papers include: "Research on Vision Assessment" (Pamela Cress); "Use of Microswitch Technology To Facilitate Social…

An article on the suggestopedic method for adult second language instruction describes the learning processes emphasized in the method and outlines the instructional processes used. The approach is based on the creation of a pleasant, relaxing, and stimulating environment where all information has positive emotional content, and uses subconscious…

Research on restructuring domain-specific knowledge suggests that inferences made by a learner are based more on what and how concepts are structured and organized in particular domains than on the age of the learner. In this view, it is possible for children to operate more expertly in a particular area than could be explained by global stage or…

Issues pertinent to prenatal drug-affected students are discussed in this ERIC Digest. The rising number of drug-exposed children approaching school age presents a challenge to school personnel in meeting their special needs. Topics covered are: (1) seriousness of the problem; (2) problems unique to drug-affected children; (3) creation of a…

Results of an assessment of 50 ecological and stress management competencies that were developed as part of a Kansas project to improve retention of special education personnel are presented in narrative and data sections. Ecological considerations include those that contribute to job success, such as job challenge and community atmosphere, while…

A study was made of children beginning school, to learn more about their response to school and how to help them adapt to it. Participants in the study's year-long first phase were 36 teachers from two very different local education authorities (LEA) and 92 children who started school in 1985-86. Teachers identified activities and organization in…

The Minneapolis public elementary school program in Spanish is described. It was established in 1974 as a FLES program in kindergarten and first grade, later established as part of a fundamental school alternative, and recently expanded to a partial immersion program. Children ideally follow the program from kindergarten through sixth grade. A…

A French language program used in a Montessori school with children in preschool through junior high grades is described. The program provides language instruction in the classroom by a French specialist as well as separate French classes, a compromise between immersion and the Montessori methodology. The children are able to work independently…

Measures of both preferred and actual classroom and school environment were administered to 1,675 secondary school students in New South Wales (Australia). Shortened versions of the My Class Inventory, Classroom Environment Scale, and Individualized Classroom Environment Questionnaire, as well as the Quality of School Life questionnaire were…

Despite the surrounding controversy, second language instruction for America's language minority children is an important educational issue for continued methodological innovation and examination. The most effective and productive classroom interaction processes and dynamics in bilingual and second language instruction are still not appropriately…

A review of more than 500 empirical studies conducted since 1970 on the achievement of Mexican Americans identified prior claims supported and/or refuted by data, isolated promising hypotheses for further investigation or educational implementation, and made recommendations for improvement of schooling, school-home relations, and teacher…

Affective communication behavior is central to the teaching-learning process. A review of literature reveals that the affective domain has been viewed primarily as a teacher property rather than as an interactive variable in the process of student learning. However, there is a need for research that explores how affective behavior is negotiated…