This book details the experiences of a teacher in a Haitian-populated preschool in an urban area of the United States, focusing on the development of literacy and English as a second language. An introductory chapter describes the children, some of their personal and cultural background, their classroom demeanor, and the context in which they were taught. The second chapter describes the traditions and practices of classroom research as experienced by the teacher. The third chapter further examines the school, the families, and the patterns of family life of the students. The next four chapters discuss the difficulties encountered in teaching literacy and managing student behavior. These include the differences between the teacher's assumptions about how adults should control or influence student behavior and the assumptions of the children and their families; varying student and teacher approaches to early literacy activities; and storybook reading and the ways students participated imaginatively with stories. The final chapter considers the value of classroom research, noting how the insights it offers differ from other forms of educational research. (MSE)