Describes a program in Colombia to enhance learning of lower class children by emphasizing acceptance, risk taking, and problem solving in a supportive environment. Parental involvement is stressed. The back-to-the-basics movement is discussed as an educational strategy antithetical to the author's philosophy. (DB)

The Personalized System of Instruction, known as the Keller Plan, is compared with the mastery learning approach. Learning concepts of both are discussed, as well as differences, difficulties, and effectiveness of each method. (SA)

The use of readiness assessment rather than chronological age for admission to kindergarten is proposed. The article examines why this approach is needed, how it might be accomplished, and the relative advantages of admitting by readiness assessment compared to chronological age. (JDD)

Discusses ways young children, families, and caregivers can work together in toilet learning. Describes signs of child readiness, and ways teachers can be supportive at this stage. Presents a classroom plan to facilitate toileting for 2- and 3- year-olds. Includes tips for parents and for caregivers related to toileting materials, toileting…

Since the world has been transformed through technology and global competition, children of the twenty-first century need much higher literacy and mathematical skills than their grandparents. Yet, at the same time, children need time to play and time to develop at a natural pace. In this article, the author shares and explains "triangulated…

The purpose of this article is to investigate major determinants of participation in adult education. Specifically, a direct measure of literacy skills available in the International Adult Literacy Survey is included. Interpreted as a measure of human capital, it is expected that literacy skills are at least as important a predictor of…

Today, e-learning is a common delivery media for education and training within many organizations. Yet, while both the supply and demand for e-learning opportunities has risen in recent years, many professionals are beginning to question whether e-learners are prepared to be successful in an online learning environment (e.g., Guglielmino &…

Five articles describe effective ideas and techniques suggested by correctional educators. In "Warming Up: Mental Exercises for Successful Learning" (Louise Henick), warm-up exercises to help students get ready to learn are discussed, such as daily journals, word of the day, and quote of the day. "Keeping Students Posted" (Richard Johnson) shows…

In this two-part paper, an attempt is made to examine the relationship between social contexts and effective schools and specifically to contribute to the development of a conceptual model for understanding how social contexts influence the operation of effective schools and student learning. In the first part, school effects research is drawn…

This study is an annotated bibliography of literature dealing with the effects of teaching mathematics by mastery learning. It is subdivided into four areas: History and Development of Mastery Learning; Mastery Learning, an Alternative to Traditional Instruction; Implementation of Mastery Learning; and Studies of Mastery Learning in Mathematics.…

In order to understand how learning occurs in children from different cultures, the learning profiles of Japanese and American children who ranged in age from 4 to 6 was examined, using the Iowa Early Learning Assessment Instrument (IELA). After the English instructions of the IELA were translated into Japanese the IELA was sent to Japan and was…

Developed for non-English speaking kindergarten children, this skills check list was designed to evaluate rapidly and to monitor a student's mastery of suggested objectives at the kindergarten level. Objectives to be mastered with 100% accuracy include: (1) oral identification of 6 basic colors; (2) oral identification of numbers 0-5; (3)…

AN EXPERIMENTAL TRAINING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO TEACH 1 TO 1 CORRESPONDENCE TO PRESCHOOL CHILDREN WAS TESTED TO SEE WHAT EFFECT IT MIGHT HAVE ON THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF NUMBER CONSERVATION. THIRTY-FIVE CHILDREN OF AGES 3, 4, AND 5 WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO 3 EXPERIMENTAL AND 3 CONTROL GROUPS. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS WERE TRAINED TO PERFORM 1 TO 1…

The broad purpose of this study was to investigate some ways of predicting the language arts achievement of kindergarten children in order that their academic needs more nearly may be met. The Metropolitan Readiness Test (given to 16 subjects at the end of kindergarten) and the Metropolitan Achievement Test, Primary I, the Purdue Perceptual Motor…

The development of an instrument for evaluating cognitive growth in preprimary children by means of observational techniques is reported. Areas of growth in pre-mathematic skills were defined for this purpose as: Imitating, recognizing, classifying, matching, comparing, understanding, counting, computing, and measuring. Each is described, and…