The capacity of agriculture to act as a familiar vehicle for development of young rural learners' literacy, numeracy, and other necessary life skills was examined through a literature review and case studies of the use of primary school agriculture (PSA) as a contextualizing subject in the following countries: Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon, Jordan, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, India, Colombia, Brazil, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom (UK). It was concluded that integrating agriculture into basic academic/life skills curricula can enhance learning by providing a unifying theme familiar to most rural children and can also improve school-community relations, thereby increasing the likelihood of parents sending their children to school. The following elements were deemed crucial to successful implementation of integrated curricula: adequately trained teachers; motivated teachers; books/materials relevant to local needs; access to relevant resources; support by local community/parents and community/parent participation in program development; sustained government support; and examinations tailored to curriculum requirements. Appendixes contain the following: overview of PSA; case study; sample text book materials for academic subjects that draw upon agricultural practices/experiences; and sample worksheet materials generated during the PSA case study from the UK. Contains 10 figures and 83 references. (MN)