As Montessorians come to the beginning of the second century of the Montessori system of education, they are in agreement that following the principles and guidelines set out by Maria Montessori a century ago empowers them to present to children an environment that truly "works." As the child is very different and the changes very evident between…

Depiction of the problem of children living in the streets in third world countries emphasizes the extent to which they are victims (as statistics have shown them as numbers on the streets or killed by "death squads") or victimizers who affect an economy (e.g., by robbing tourists). Both descriptions suggest that one-dimensional portrait…

This report describes a study which examined the relation of Chinese parenting style to only-children's academic achievement. Subjects, 186 middle-class parents of fifth and sixth graders (10-13 years old) from one Beijing elementary school, completed a Chinese translation of the Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ). Four approximately equal…

A person-centered approach was followed for the study of patterns in personality development in middle childhood through early adolescence. In a longitudinal study of 100 children, the "big five" personality factors--extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness--were assessed in person descriptions by…

This paper contains a poetry reading presented to a meeting on poetic narrative and educational development. The presentation was based on the theory that the field of philosophy of education should include the realm of the possible as created and populated by the imagination, and often portrayed by works of art. The poems consist of attempts to…

The Massachusetts Middle Grade Regional Alliance Network, a program that provides collaborative professional-development opportunities to middle-grade educators, is summarized in this document. The goal of the regional alliance is to increase the collaboration between all institutions working with early adolescents in order to improve school…

The ages between 10 and 14 years represent a period of transition between childhood and adolescence when feelings of confusion, anxiety, excitement, and frustration are widely experienced. During this period, early adolescents undergo major developmental changes. Educators working with these young people need accurate knowledge of early…

This booklet focuses on establishing effective, meaningful, and forceful programs to prevent alcohol and other drug use by youth between the ages of 10 and 14. It looks at some of the most common developmental characteristics of this age group, and reviews the literature on how best to approach them with prevention messages. The focus is on…

Educators and policymakers are beginning to realize that students aged 10 through 14 are not well served by the "miniature high school" atmosphere of the typical junior high school, where the primary emphasis is placed on academic achievement in departmentalized course offerings. A program that is student-centered and that better…

An alcohol misuse prevention study (AMPS) curriculum was developed, implemented, and evaluated with over 5,000 fifth and sixth grade students. The AMPS program, emphasizing peer resistance skills, focused on the immediate effects of alcohol, risks of alcohol misuse, and social pressures to misuse alcohol. Schools were randomly assigned to…

This booklet discusses child abuse, targeting pre-teenagers and teenagers. It describes what child abuse is, why it happens, and what a teenager can do about it. These topics are covered: (1) definition of child abuse and types of child abuse; (2) differentiating between child abuse and discipline; (3) sexual abuse; (4) family types of child…

The "Contemporary Health Series" covers critical health and family life topics in a sequence of modules with two curricular divisions: "Into Adolescence" for middle school teachers and "Entering Adulthood" for high school teachers. This module presents a six-lesson curriculum for grades five through eight to provide students with the information…

Assessment is an essential process for Physical Education program planning. This is especially true for children with special needs, such as children with Down Syndrome. The ultimate aim of assessments is to enable an informed and intelligent progam of planned activites. For children with Down Syndrome, there are no clear data on their overall…

While research findings suggest that self-concept and perceptions of classroom environment may be interrelated, there is little empirical evidence to validate the existence of such a relationship. This study was conducted to examine the relationship between fourth- and fifth-grade students' self-concept and their perceptions of classroom…

Some researchers argue that all relaxation techniques produce a single relaxation response while others support a specific-effects hypothesis which suggests that progressive relaxation affects the musculoskeletal system and that guided imagery affects cognitive changes. Autogenics is considered a technique which is both somatic and cognitive. This…