Noting that school readiness--the preparedness of children to learn what is taught in schools--is the cornerstone of today's education reform movement, this article presents a brief overview of the key public factors that contribute to school readiness. These factors include both historical and contemporary American views of early learning as…

Responses of 118 Cantonese-speaking students at Hong Kong English-medium secondary schools to a questionnaire indicated those factors that contribute to the ineffectiveness of the English-medium education include: (1) lack of exposure to English outside the classroom; (2) absence of the Hawthorne effect on the immersion programs; and (3)…

This longitudinal study first administered the Uzgiris and Hunt scales (to predict learning of manual signs) to 34 children (mean age 5) with severe and profound mental retardation. Evaluation four years later indicated that achievement of stage five on the Uzgiris and Hunt scales was necessary for even minimal learning and use of manual signs.…

Discusses the eight learner attributes of immersion, reflection, play and flow, collaboration, learner control, curiosity, fantasy, and challenge, which were identified as being important in bringing about motivation and engagement in adult learners. Describes the interactive multimedia learning environment, "Principles of Financial Investment,"…

The project reported in this paper aims to test the concept of "learner developmental readiness" and its pedagogic effectiveness in the teaching of foreign language grammar. It focuses on the teaching of English as a second language (ESL) in a formal classroom context. The aim is to ascertain whether a specific teaching order based on…

Among the prescriptions for improving children's school readiness is a call for television to lead the way through the provision of ready-to-learn programing and services for the nation's preschoolers. No single element of a national ready-to-learn service will have a greater impact on its effectiveness than the programing it airs. Three…

Noting that the latest messages communicated to the public about the learning problems of American children emphasize children's lack of social maturity and premature school entry, this book examines the many complex issues surrounding school readiness and entry. The 15 chapters are divided into 4 sections. The first section includes an…

This report addresses problems associated with school readiness and offers recommendations intended to help the 15 member states of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) meet goals that were adopted in 1988. After discussing the importance of school readiness, the report lists some obstacles to readiness that are especially prevalent in the…

Noting that communities and states all across America are working to achieve the first National Education Goal--by the year 2000, all children in America will start school ready to learn--this paper provides information on efforts to meet that goal. The first portion of the paper presents a definition of readiness to learn devised by the Education…

Noting a developmentally inappropriate trend toward earlier instruction in mathematics, a study examined the effects of a systematic, process-based, developmentally appropriate program for the development of number readiness in Indian kindergarten (preschool) children aged 4 and 5. An experimental group of 20 children received the process-based…

This Vocational Instructional Management System (VIMS) module addresses general information related to the instructional/teaching strategies and cognitive/learning strategies for special needs students in marketing and distributive education. In addition, specific strategies are suggested as they relate to Access Skills objectives for some of the…

Designed for teachers and others involved in the development of early childhood education programs, the resource guide presents a model for teaching children, ages four through seven. Part 1 presents a brief overview of the growth and background of early childhood education in Maryland. Part 2 traces the origins and development of kindergarten…

The North York Board of Education established an Early Identification Committee, as directed by the Ministry of Education in 1978, to develop procedures for early identification of children's learning needs and abilities. An initial examination of how Early Identification Procedures were being received in the schools is presented, assessing the…

Used as an integral part of the migrant student skills system operated by the Migrant Student Record Transfer System (MSRTS), the math skills list contains a catalog of math skills typical of the K-9 grade range. This catalog includes a sample of the MSRTS transmittal record, a reporting form which permits teachers to report the math skills…

Four text passages varying along the dimensions of the number of propositions unifying one or more text paragraphs and text length were constructed. The text content pertained to nine concepts in the area of operant conditioning psychology. Fifty-eight university students were pretested and then blocked on prior text-related knowledge, and read…