This book examines family traditions of over two centuries in the United States and finds a complicated process of change in the way Americans have celebrated holidays such as Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Passover, and Chinese New Year as well as the life cycle rituals of birth, birthdays, coming of age, marriage, and death. The book notes…

This paper presents an alternative view to the pedagogical needs relating to literacy for Aboriginal students. The question posed is how to utilize this knowledge to lessen the impact of perceived failure in early schooling of entrenched non-attendance patterns for Aboriginal students of compulsory school attending ages. The potential for…

Staff members working in early childhood services have enormous potential to influence young children's developing attitudes toward cultural diversity and gender equity. This issue of the Australian Early Childhood Association Research in Practice Series focuses on how early childhood staff can work productively through the challenges of achieving…

The Communication Theory and Methodology section of the Proceedings contains the following 14 papers: "Press Releases and the 'Bscore': New Statistical Measurement Explored" (Lee Bollinger); "A Systematic Approach to Analyzing the Structure of News Texts" (Michael Schmierbach); "Setting the Proximity Frame: Distance as an…

This document provides the framework for six other related documents in a series that focuses on diversity in the classroom. Section 1, "Introduction," explains that children in any Canadian classroom are not homogeneous, and such diversity presents teachers with challenges and obligations. The chapter reviews the subjects addressed in…

This publication from the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is designed to inform parents about the department's Grade Five curriculum standards in four major areas: language arts/reading, mathematics, science, and social studies. The integrated language arts/reading standards require students to recognize and respond to different…

This book presents 20 cases that address racism in one form or another. Many of the cases are from actual experience. They are intended to bring out actual or possible solutions so that student teachers, novice teachers, and seasoned teachers can find ideas for solving racist problems in their classrooms. The first part focuses on the early years,…

The ten 1998 issues of the newsletter of TASH comprise this document. An issue typically contains news items, a column by the organization's executive director, reports from special interest groups, legislative testimony, conference information, and several major articles, such as the following: "A Q&A on IDEA 97 with Tom Gilhool"; "Positive…

This paper problematizes the bifurcation of technology and tradition and its implied unidirectional transformative authority of technology. It divides the multitude of responses to the relation between technology and culture into these three categories: technology as the messenger and the message, technology as a messenger without an inherent…

School systems in the United States are not serving Latino students well, especially those from low-income families. This book examines difficulties encountered by Mexican-origin students--one of the fastest growing minority groups--and describes why some schools fall short and how others have improved student outcomes. The focus throughout the…

Malnutrition is a term used to indicate a general condition of less than normal physical and mental vigor. While the causes of malnutrition are many, incorrect or inadequate diet appears all too often as one of the causes. School feeding, which affords not only an opportunity, to supplement the home food supply but also to teach correct food…

Outlines the skills necessary (objectivity, effective parental involvement, assessment preparation, implementing a least-biased assessment, analyzing the information) for a multidisciplinary team to make appropriate educational assessments of minority students as mandated by the Education for All Children Handicapped Act (Public Law 94-142).…

Differentiating and ranking (D/R) mechanisms (norm-referenced testing, grouping, competition, busing differences) within the school isolate the culturally foreign and define them as inferior to the culturally dominant. The D/R factors constitute a vehicle by which the school commits symbolic violence. (Author/CM)

Argues that newborns have two major childhood tasks: (1) become independent individuals; and (2) establish connections with others. Notes that parents generally focus on one task over the other and that choice is cultural. Describes both parenting styles and their implications for children and for staff of child care facilities charged with their…

This study evaluated the reliability and validity of a battery of instruments based on Multiple Intelligences theory, including teacher checklists and performance-based assessment activities developed for the identification of talent in culturally diverse and/or low-income kindergarten and first-grade students. Acceptable reliability but…