Socio-cultural theory has provided researchers with a powerful cultural tool for examining many taken-for-granted practices within early childhood education (Wertsch 1991). In drawing upon this tradition, this paper outlines a study that investigated the learning experiences of Indigenous Australian preschool-aged children at home, in the…

This article examines and analyzes Semco, a company that changed the way it viewed and treated its workers for the better. It is the contention of Semco's CEO, that at most large corporations "everyone is part of a gigantic, impersonal machine, and it is impossible to feel motivated when you feel you are just another cog. Human nature demands…

This article explores the dynamics and educational potential of De Colores Community Learning Center, an after-school program serving low-performing Chicano-Latino children. The article discusses the foundational characteristics of De Colores and its quest to become a model of empowerment, instead of a more traditional model of service. Finally,…

The construct of school readiness that focuses on children's maturation and homogeneity of their attainment at school entry has been challenged by recent research. This research indicates that there are difficulties in assessing young children's abilities, and there are limitations to the concomitant practice of retention. These challenges have…

Discusses the the experiences of teachers gathered in the Bay Area Writing Project's Summer Invitational Institute to write, reflect on the process, and give workshops. Describes the presentation of one Hmong student, and highlights the importance of recognizing the home school connection for immigrant students. (Author/VWL)

It is amazing how many interesting projects are going on in schools that nobody else knows much about. Teachers in St Peters Primary School have, over recent years, been involved in projects on emotional intelligence and in particular have developed a special interest in the use of puppets and role-play in their teaching. A concern to ensure a…

The Healthy Learner Asthma Initiative (HLAI) was designed as a comprehensive, school-community initiative to improve asthma management and produce healthy learners. National asthma guidelines were translated into components of asthma management in the school setting that defined performance expectations and lead to greater quality and consistency…

Much of the dialogue about part-time faculty on the tenure track has focused on individuals who have not yet earned tenure and whose chances of obtaining it may be affected by the challenges of bearing or raising children. As a pretenure faculty member with young children, the author pursued the path of many colleagues in academia: she found…

Purpose: This study aims to assess whether differences exist in the barriers reported by, and in the person- and situation-centred factors related to the managerial advancement of, women with and without children. The study also seeks to examine whether having children influences womens advancement, by affecting person-situation factors such as…

Schools can no longer define good parents as those involved in traditional ways. Parents of students with a variety of ethnic, economic, and social backgrounds may not come to PTA meetings or help their children with homework, but many want their children to succeed in school. Educators need to understand the role that family beliefs play in…

Although the mixed heritage population of the U.S. continues to grow, few (if any) attempts have been made to examine educational needs specific to this group of children, especially from the family's perspective. This article uses ethnographic data to examine the experiences of one mixed heritage family--with an African American father and a…

When a family finds out their child has a disability, they enter the world of special education which has its own terminology, rules, settings and personnel. In addition to grappling with the meaning of their child's special needs, families are also thrown into the role of principle advocate for their child. The research study reported here…

In this paper we report some of the literacy and numeracy actions developed on the Home School Knowledge Exchange (HKSE) project and examine these in relation to the engagement of participants. The exchanges of knowledge included two-way processes where aspects of children's out-of-school worlds informed teaching and learning in the classroom as…

The investigation involved the assessment of a model predicting that family and university relationship environments are linked with identity processes and identity states (statuses) that predict psychosocial resources among first-year university students. A sample of 351 university students, between the ages of 18 and 21 years, completed measures…

Relationships become so close in early childhood programs that many parents describe early childhood staff as their children's "extended family." And yet, no matter how genuine attachments are, there still remains the fact that parents are, in fact, the school's paying customers. When money is exchanged in the U.S., the typical rule of thumb for…