The revolution in digital communication is bringing about profound changes in the ways people live, learn, and work. Three topics that address these changes are discussed. First is a set of ideas about the nature of information and information processing. Second is an Australian National Framework for competence in language, literacy, and numeracy…

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the "Brown v Board of Education" decision, it is appropriate to review it as the spark for a new definition of equality in American life. The Brown case was the first significant step in the modern civil rights movement, and, as such, defined the structure and legal reasoning for the push by…

A study sought to identify elements of the household economy, family structure, and parenting practices that help explain the aversion many Hispanic-American parents feel toward organized preschools. Data were drawn from a 1991 national survey of families with young children conducted by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) and…

This newsletter issue focuses on how the family support movement can help reshape the human services delivery system to more effectively meet the needs of African American families. The newsletter includes the following articles: (1) "Dispelling Myths and Building on Strengths: Supporting African American Families"; (2) "The 'Nguzo…

What has been learned about making cities better since civil disturbances first arose in American cities is summarized, and guidelines are offered for constructing an urban agenda for improvement. In some respects the country has made real progress since the Watts riots, but in other areas, conditions are unambiguously worse, with increasing…

A study investigated politeness indicators in the speech of three groups of university students: 37 native Spanish speakers, in Spain; 34 American students; and 33 native Spanish-speakers learning English as a Second Language (ESL) in Spain. Subjects responded to a questionnaire that outlined 24 situations combining 2 contextual variables: 2…

This cross-cultural study evaluated the effects of nontraditional versus traditional educational approaches in kindergarten on children's preparation for first grade and their readiness to learn. Fifty children in a developmental kindergarten in Pennsylvania, and 50 children in a traditional academic kindergarten in Sichuan province, People's…

This collection of papers focuses on how adults communicate with children in institutional settings such as public schools and day care centers, and how professionals in the field of communication disorders communicate among themselves. Papers include: "Introduction: Linguistic Theories and Language Interaction" (Madeline M. Maxwell); "Inuit…

An adult education program designed to help limited-English-proficient students through the transition from basic English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction to more comprehensive adult basic education (ABE) is described. This transition is often difficult because of a mix of student needs, literacy backgrounds, and language proficiency levels…

This ethnographic study examined two bilingual, ethnic-minority children in a developmentally appropriate kindergarten to discover how they worked and played in learning centers. A Vietnamese-Cambodian-American girl and an Indian-American boy were observed two to three times per week throughout the school year. The two children's interactions with…

Enhancing ethnic relations among students of diverse ethnic backgrounds was the aim of this practicum. A specific goal was to aid students in developing positive communication skills needed to enable them to work in collaborative learning groups without feelings of ethnic inferiority or ethnic superiority. Students were taught the vocabulary…

This general report presents findings of Manitoba's 1985 assessment of kindergarten English, French immersion, and heritage language programs. The report contains a description of classroom observations, and summaries of interviews with teachers and principals. Sections of the report focus on: (1) background to the assessment; (2) physical…

The first major purpose of this paper is to show the ways in which teachers can benefit from research and the application of research findings to classroom interactions with children. The second major purpose is to examine research findings on the quality and characteristics of teachers' interactions with children by looking at findings on…

This annotated bibliography was developed as a part of the Minority Cultural Initiative Project to help explore the issue of culturally competent service delivery to children and youth with emotional disabilities and their families. The review was limited to contemporary perspectives spanning the last three decades and covering communities or…

Using a comparative and historical approach, this paper examines linguistic perspectives on minority education, specifically language-based explanations for the reading problems of working class minority group students. The paper first discusses the ways in which competence and performance theories of language treat the relation between language…