One way to involve parents in their children's education is to create a parent center in or near the school. In an informal setting, parents can meet other parents and their children's teachers to plan activities and exchange information. The center should be in an accessible location and open when parents are most likely to visit, such as early…

It is important for children to have a safe way to spend time after school and to have the opportunity to bolster the education they receive during class with extra learning activities. This guide provides information about after-school programs so that parents can choose the best one for their children. There are good after-school programs in…

This brochure discusses the importance of keeping students from regressing during the summer months, explaining that most children forget important skills and knowledge that they do not use over the summer, and teachers often spend 4-8 weeks at the beginning of the school year re-teaching material from the previous year. How students spend their…

This book describes 7 successful foreign language programs that start in preschool or the elementary grades and continue through high school, including both foreign language in the elementary school (FLES) and immersion programs. Written in clear and nontechnical language, this book is designed to be of use to anyone developing an early foreign…

This brochure suggests steps students and parents can take to secure financial aid for higher education. The document contains six sections which cover: (1) types of aid available, including grants and scholarships, work-study programs, and loans; (2) determination of aid eligibility, a process including a demonstration of financial need (or merit…

Focusing on the major educational initiatives of our times--the National Education Goals outlined and endorsed in 1990 by the nation's governors, and President Bush's America 2000 strategy--this report reviews and summarizes information about the role of libraries in many different educational efforts designed to meet the national goals. It is…

This digest highlights the findings of an extensive review and analysis of the literature related to the role of libraries in education. The review was undertaken to demonstrate the critical role libraries can play in meeting the six National Education Goals adopted in 1990 by the President and the governors of the United States. The goals, which…

In a question-and-answer format, this single sheet outlines the rights of parents in the special education process, as provided by Public Law 94-142, including the right to a free appropriate public education for the child, to request a re-evaluation, to have the child tested in the child's primary language, and to participate in the development…

Presented in a question-and-answer format, this digest offers guidelines in choosing an enriching summer program for gifted students. The following questions are addressed: What are the possibilities? What needs do summer programs meet? Who should make the selection? What does the selection process involve? What variables are important? and What…

This Digest points out characteristics of quality computer software for children, describes different kinds of software, and suggests ways to get software for preview. The need to consider the purpose for which the software is to be used and the degree to which the software meets its stated goals is noted. Desirable software characteristics and…

Modeled after the pioneering French immersion programs developed in Canada in the 1960s, foreign language immersion programs in the United States are designed to enrich the education of native-English-speaking students by teaching them all of their academic subjects in a second language. The goal is for students to become proficient in the second…

This digest explores the concept of mentoring with gifted students and offers guidelines on its implementation. The literature on mentoring is reviewed, noting the maturing effect of mentor relationships and the particular value of mentors for disadvantaged students and for females. Among six guidelines offered are: decide what (not whom) the…

This digest offers guidelines for group advocacy efforts on behalf of gifted education. Four potential pitfalls are identified: using an adversarial rather than a persuasive approach; assuming that people in administrative and political positions are not too bright or not very knowledgeable--or both; being impatient; and ineffectively coping with…

This annotated bibiliography of readings and resources for parents and teachers of gifted children is divided into the following categories: books containing general information about gifted and talented students, 1985-1989 (15 items); practical self-help books, 1979-1989 (16 items); books on specific areas in gifted education (13 items);…

This document is comprised of the two issues in volume 5 of "Parent News Offline," a publication of the National Parent Information Network (NPIN) designed to introduced those without Internet Access to the activities and information available through NPIN. The Spring 2003 issue contains the following articles: (1) "Summer Academic…