Proposes that a National Academy of Education is needed to set priorities, assess research in education, allocate resources, learn to implement approaches that work, and identify areas of study. Describes a successful program developed in New Haven as a model to others. (RT)

Reviews reading research in Great Britain in 1987, focusing on: parental involvement; preschool literacy; oral reading; remedial reading; writing, spelling, and handwriting; word recognition; comprehension; reading and thinking; and reading schemes. Suggests that future literacy research should reflect alternative means of investigation and a…

Meetings of home schoolers were observed to determine parents' attitudes toward traditional education. Many parents, over time, grew to question the validity of their previous assumptions but remained firm in their belief that schools are not neutral and meritocratic dispensers of knowledge. (BJV)

Reviews the research presented in this issue and its implications for classroom practice. The topics include sex-role stereotyping and cultural diversity in award-winning picture books for children; children's storytelling; parent involvement and quality of day care; cultural-familial predictors of children's metacognitive and academic…

A collection of tips for teachers offers information on creative class projects; parent involvement; teacher grants; the National Student Editorial Cartoon Contest; a guide to good studying; a tribute to Christa McAuliffe; the Michael Jordan Education Club; good literature; classroom techniques; and language arts, math, and social studies…

Describes projects that have been developed in schools in Hawaii, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin under the auspices of the Institute for Responsive Education's League of Schools Reaching Out. These schools participated in the School-Community Connection project. Project results and conclusions about effective development are…

Presents suggestions for making social studies interesting and motivating to students. The first article offers six strategies to make lessons dynamic. Several other articles go into the classroom to see how teachers are making social studies real to their students. Resources for further information are included. (SM)

Describes the "Learning Luggage" program implemented in an early intervention preschool class, in which students take home a selection of science, math, creative arts, or language arts activities in a suitcase. Children and their parents complete the activities together and exchange the suitcase for a different one each week. Discusses…

Proposes a new model of family involvement in early childhood education that empowers families as lifelong learners. Strategies that empower families include advocating for family-centered communities; developing relevant parent education; promoting developmentally appropriate programs; providing success-oriented learning experiences and…

Describes a special activity that offers an alternative for elementary physical educators with limited time, providing visual stimulation to generate student interest and enhance motivation to participate in personal fitness pursuits. The program helps students understand the benefits of fitness participation and increases awareness of physical…

Magnet schools were created as a result of the failure of mandatory desegregation plans, but the magnet schools concept has spawned the ideas of controlled parent choice of schools and the chartering of public education. Implementation of the Goals 2000 Act could jeopardize trends magnet schools have set in motion. (SLD)

Data from a longitudinal study of 2,000 children concerning paternal involvement, the father-child relationship, and effects on gender role expectations of sons and daughters suggest that the development of egalitarian views about work and parenthood depend less on paternal involvement than on the nature of that involvement. (SLD)

Interviews with parents, students, and staff members at a school of 850 seventh and eighth graders yielded a set of 8 fairly universal guidelines for creating and maintaining a safe learning environment. The high expectations the school had for its students was one response that was unanimous. (MLF)

Discusses the components of high quality child day care curricula, focusing on educational philosophy, program goals and objectives, the physical environment, the role of teachers and administrators, and partnerships with families. (MDM)

Reviews literature on links between parenting and children's cognitive competence, proposing that social and emotional adjustment might play a critical role in mediating the relationship between these variables. Describes a program of research on family functioning, emotional distress, self-restraint, and academic performance. Explores future…