(1992). The Boston Globe's Top 25 Books in Multicultural Reading for Youngsters. Young Reader, spec iss Aut. This issue of a newsletter about children and reading briefly describes 25 of the best choices in multicultural children's literature. The list includes picture books and novels for young readers. Each book review provides author, illustrator, and publisher names; the title; the age for which the book is appropriate; and a description of the plot and illustrations. The list includes books in the following cultures: (1) Eskimo; (2) Caribbean; (3) African American; (4) Hispanic American; (5) Ukrainian; (6) Chinese; (7) Middle Eastern; (8) Jewish; (9) Native American; (10) Korean; (11) Cambodian; and (12) Turkish. (JB)…

Mahiri, Jabari (1998). Shooting for Excellence: African American and Youth Culture in New Century Schools. Two African American teachers teach English in the same inner-city high school. One teacher is successful–her students read, interact, and strive for success. The other teacher's students are frequently disruptive or are asleep. This book probes deep into the causes of classroom success and failure, as well as other issues that affect American schools today, and demonstrates how two connected cultures–of African Americans and of youth–cannot be ignored if change is to be effected in education. Through a series of ethnographic studies, the dynamics of effective learning, in which the concept of teacher as coach takes on new meaning, is revealed. The book's scope encompasses computer technology, multiculturalism, tracking, race relations, the canon, and specific aspects of African American culture, such as signifying and receiver-centered discourse. The book's closing chapter projects a vision of an American high school 10 years from now. (NKA)… [PDF]

Klein, Margaret E. (1998). A Comparison of Multicultural Characters in the Annotations of Two Recommended High School Reading Lists Published Thirty-One Years Apart. This content analysis sought to examine the annotations in two editions of "Books for You" (a recommended reading list for high school students) published thirty-one years apart (1964 and 1995) to determine if the roles, settings, and importance of multicultural characters has changed in any way. The percentage of annotations was compared to United States Census population, including the following ethnic groups: African American, Native American, Asian/Pacific Islanders, Hispanic Americans, and those of mixed race. The results of the study show that the percentage of multicultural literature on this recommended reading list increased from 1964 to 1995 for all but Asian/Pacific Islanders. There was a dramatic increase in the number of books with settings in the United States. With the exception of Asian/Pacific Islanders, multicultural characters increased in importance. In general, the roles these characters occupied became somewhat less stereotypical, but not necessarily… [PDF]

Abrahamson, Brant; Smith, Fred (1997). Thinking about Religion from a Global Perspective. The Student Text begins with a comparison of Eastern and Western World Religions. The three interrelated Abrahamic faiths are compared with Hindu-Buddhist traditions. Subsequent chapter titles are: \New Religions,\\Religion and Morality,\\Religion and Science,\\Religion and Human Life,\\A Historical Perspective\ and \Getting Together.\ An \Annotated Bibliography\ follows the easily-read chapters. Analysis Materials is a booklet with a wide variety of items, and instructors can select those best suited for students given the time available. There are case studies, multiple single-page readings (with questions for discussion) as well as illustrations designed to trigger thought and motivate student-produced artwork. The three case studies are \Beginning and Change in Religion,\\New Age Religion\ and \Religion and Exercising Influence.\ The last helps students spot abusive or deceptive procedures wherever they are found. Selections not duplicated for students make excellent teacher…

Risinger, C. Frederick (1992). Trends in K-12 Social Studies. ERIC Digest. Drawing on contemporary research literature, recently developed curriculum guides, and blue-ribbon reports, this digest reviews 10 contemporary trends in K-12 social studies in the United States. Trends are as follows: (1) History, history, and more history; (2) More geography, too; (3) Using literature to teach social studies; (4) Focus on the multicultural nature of American society; (5) Renewed attention to western civilization; (6) Renewed attention to ethics and values; (7) Increased attention to the role of religion; (8) Attention to contemporary and controversial issues; (9) Covering issues in depth; and (10) Writing, writing, and more writing. (DB)… [PDF]

Adler, Sol, Ed.; King, Deborah A., Ed. (1994). Oral Communication Problems in Children and Adolescents. Second Edition. This book provides an overview of communication disorders and their causes and provides suggestions for strategies to be used by the classroom teacher in collaboration with the speech-language pathologist and audiologist to enhance communication skills development. Chapters have the following titles and authors: \Articulation Disorders\ (Rhonda S. Work); \Language Deficiencies\ (Asa J. Brown); \Language Differences\ (Nicholas G. Bountress); \The Multicultural Student in the Classroom\ (Steven J. Cloud); \Stuttering: A Disorder of Fluency\ (Pearl A. Gordon); \Voice Disorders\ (Mary H. Pannbacker and Grace F. Middleton); \Hearing Impairment\ (Allan O. Diefendorf and others); and \Educational Considerations for Students with Hearing Impairment\ (Ralph G. Leverett and others). (Each paper contains references.) (JDD)…

Clouse, R. Wilburn; Hughes, Judy A. (1994). Issues Affecting the Professoriate in the 1990s. This review of the literature examines five issues affecting college faculties in the 1990s and identifies various views on these issues while providing a general overview. A section on multiculturalism identifies it as one of the leading issues facing faculty. This section looks at views on the challenges of racial diversity; racial tension; and increased diversity by gender, cultural background, and disability. A section on organizational factors looks at administrative changes affecting faculty many of which are linked to fiscal considerations. This section covers views on the fiscal crisis, faculty attrition and status, merit pay, and the information explosion. A section on mission raises some broad issues about the mission of U.S. higher education and treats theoretical versus practical applications and university-industry alliances. A section on professional factors addresses approaches to faculty evaluation, staff development, and scholarly communication. The final section… [PDF]

Savage, John F. (1994). Teaching Reading Using Literature. Written for teachers who are moving toward a greater use of literature for reading and writing instruction, this book discusses planning and implementing a reading and writing program for pupils that uses literature as a major component in teaching children how to read. Chapters in the book contain boxed sections with practical suggestions for applying theory to practice, along with special sections that offer "food for thought" and resources such as book lists. Suggestions for in-class and field-based assignments follow each chapter. Chapters in the book are: (1) Literature and Literacy in the Elementary Classroom; (2) The World of Children's Literature; (3) Organizing and Managing a Literature-Based Program; (4) Early Literacy; (5) Word Study: Vocabulary and Learning to Read; (6) Reading Comprehension: Understanding Narrative Text; (7) Literacy across the Curriculum: Comprehending Expository Text; (8) The Role of the Library in a Literature-Based Program; (9) Sharing…

Bruno, Paula (1993). The Wisdom Is Now (Project WIN) Final Evaluation Report, 1992-93. OREA Report. The Wisdom Is Now (Project WIN) was designed to increase student English proficiency, native language proficiency, and academic achievement, increase parent involvement, and encourage staff development at the High School for the Humanities and the School of Fashion industries in New York City. It served a total of 349 students of limited English proficiency (LEP), their parents, and their teachers. Students received instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL), native language arts (NLA), and the content area subjects of mathematics, science, and social studies. Teachers of the participating students had the opportunity to attend monthly staff development meetings and receive tuition reimbursement for relevant college courses. The project sponsored a variety of parental involvement activities, including workshops and counseling services. Project WIN met its specific objectives for increasing students' familiarity with American culture and citizenship, cultural pride, attitude… [PDF]

Rohrlich, Beulah F. (1993). Expecting the Worst (or the Best!). What Exchange Programs Should Know about Student Expectations. Occasional Papers in Intercultural Learning, Number 16. Approximately 500 undergraduate students, representing colleges and universities across the United States, who were about to embark on a semester-long credit-bearing sojourn sponsored by Syracuse University (New York) to one of four locations (London, Strasbourg, Madrid, and Florence) were surveyed about their aspirations and attitudes regarding language, food and health, and adjustment/homesickness. Findings indicated: only three percent of respondents stated that learning the host language was the prime reason for studying abroad; just half of the respondents had a positive attitude toward language acquisition; 59 percent had positive expectations about the host country's food, while 27 percent had negative attitudes; 64 percent had positive expectations concerning matters of health; 80 percent felt positively about adjusting to a new lifestyle and a different academic setting; and homesickness was not expected to be a serious concern. Findings prompted a revision of a 1989 chart… [PDF]

Coelho, Elizabeth (1994). Learning Together in the Multicultural Classroom. Pippin Teacher's Library. Intended for teachers who work with culturally mixed student populations in Canada, this book is about methods of classroom and curriculum organization that promote effective cognitive and affective development in a linguistically and racially diverse setting. The book focuses on developing practical approaches to and techniques for small group work that can be implemented in the classroom. Pointing out that schools will now need to educate students to perform in a technological, information-oriented workplace, the book argues that traditional pedagogy no longer functions in such an environment and that teaching methods that democratize the classroom are in order. The book describes how several strands of learning (cooperative learning, classroom "talk" as a tool for learning, and–for nonnative speakers–interaction in the target language in a non-threatening forum) can be integrated into and implemented in the classroom. Although the activities described in the book are…

Grider, Clint (1994). Implementation of a Multicultural Curriculum: A Case Study. This paper presents a case study of the issues facing a hypothetical university that is attempting to devise and implement a multicultural core curriculum. It focuses on the actions of the chair of the Academic Affairs Council of the university, who must work with the Council and the Faculty Senate to develop the core curriculum. After allowing faculty representatives from a number of minority groups to have input on the curriculum change, the Council voted to add two new categories of courses to the core curriculum to meet the multicultural requirement. To the chairman's surprise, the faculty senate approves the measure by only a narrow margin after heated debate. A groundswell of protest to the move arises from many students, faculty, parents, and alumni of the conservative institution. The president of the university then threatens to veto the curriculum change, an unprecedented move. After presenting the case, the paper analyzes the chairman's leadership skills, criticizing his… [PDF]

Hamilton, Robert E., Ed. (1992). Lesson Plans on African History and Geography: A Teaching Resource. This document presents lesson plans for instruction concerning the history and geography of the continent of Africa. Topics include: (1) "The Challenge of Teaching African History and Culture" (Robert Hamilton); (2) "A Physical Overview of Africa" (Robert Hamilton and Kim Lilly); (3) "A Cultural Overview of Africa" (Robert Hamilton and Kim Lilly); (4) "Early Christianity in Egypt and Ethiopia" (Dona J. Stewart); (5) "Islam" (Dona J. Stewart and Robert Hamilton); (6) "The Saharan Caravan Trade" (George Burson); (7) "African Diaspora" (Walter F. Urbanek); (8) "Zimbabwe" (Sylvia C. Udall); (9) "African Runaway Slave Communities: Palmares and Florida" (Linda B. Mager); (10) "Christianity in Africa: 1500 to the Present" (Robert Hamilton); and (11) "Modern Africa" (George Burson). The document also includes a list of maps, a foreword and preface, acknowledgements, and a discussion… [PDF]

Skelton, Sarah C. (1991). Our Shrinking World: The Need for Cultural Awareness. This paper discusses the characteristics of middle school students and teachers, and provides suggestions for the development of cultural awareness at the middle school level. Between the ages of 10 and 14 years, adolescents experience rapid physical growth, changes in social relationships and in emotions, and changes in intellectual development from concrete to abstract operations. Middle school educators must keep these changes in mind if they are to provide a high quality educational environment. Cultural awareness education programs should increase students' knowledge of cultures and minority groups, and minimize students' prejudice toward others who are different. A cultural awareness program should include: (1) an interdisciplinary approach; (2) interesting curricular materials; (3) development of skills in analysis and critical thinking; and (4) materials and activities which are authentic and multidimensional, and involve cognitive and affective skills. A reference list of…

(1984). Multicultural Mathematics Posters and Activities. A set of 18 posters, each 28 cm x 43 cm and printed on parchmentlike paper, and an activity book for teachers in middle and secondary schools make up this publication. The posters illustrate the ideas that mathematics spans centuries and cultures, and is both useful and enjoyable. The activity book emphasizes problem solving, with a focus on interdisciplinary applications of mathematics, and is designed to encourage minority students to pursue mathematics beyond the minimum requirements for graduation. The activities are referenced to the posters, and concern the following topics: the calculator's ancestors, magic squares, ancient systems of numeration, geometry with meaning, traditional round houses, tangrams, Oware, once upon a time, arabic geometrical pattern and design, Mayan numerals, Pa-Kua, Tower of Brahma, strategy games and puzzles, Japanese optical and geometric art, Egyptian rope stretchers, Shongo networks, Pascal's triangle, and Golden Ratio. (MNS)…

(1985). 12 Secrets of Smart Food Buying. Keep Foods Safe. Guide to Refrigerator Storage. This package consists of various bilingual instructional materials for use in helping Indochinese refugees learn basic food purchasing and food storage skills. Included in the package are a Vietnamese/English bilingual booklet explaining 12 secrets of wise food buying and translations of guidelines for keeping foods safe (English, Vietnamese, Lao) and storing foods in a refrigerator (English, Lao, Cambodian). (MN)…

Baenen, Nancy R.; Yonan, Barbara (1988). Title VII Evaluation, 1987-88. Title VII federal funds have been used in the Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD) since 1985-86 to enhance the regular secondary bilingual and English-as-a-second-language programs for Hispanic limited English proficient (LEP) students. The four secondary campuses involved were those with the highest concentrations of Hispanic LEP students–Martin Junior High and Travis, Anderson, and Johnston High Schools. Title VII provided staff training, student tutoring, curriculum development, and parent/family training. In 1987-1988, a total of 233 LEP students were enrolled in these schools, while over the 3 years of the project, 33 Title VII teachers took one or more courses leading to ESL-endorsement certification. In addition, between 1986 and 1988, 16 workshops were held for parents/families of LEP students. Title VII in combination with other AISD programs appeared to have a positive impact over 3 years as English proficiency improved steadily across time and students… [PDF]

Edwards, Henry P.; Fu, Lewis (1983). Mathematics Achievement: Interactive Effects of Language of Instruction and Teacher Use of New Curriculum Materials. This study examined the mathematics achievement of grade three English-speaking pupils enrolled in French immersion or in an English program as a function of language of instruction and the extent to which their teachers used a locally developed mathematics curriculum document. The sample consisted of eight English program classes and four French immersion classes. French and English versions of an objectives-based mathematics test were administered in October, 1981, and equivalent forms plus a nonverbal aptitude test were given to the same pupils in May, 1982. All participating teachers completed a teacher survey. The English program pupils made significantly greater mathematics gains than their French immersion peers, although the latter had higher initial average scores. Regardless of program, pupils whose teachers reported greater use of the new curriculum document made more mathematics progress than did pupils whose teachers reported less use of the document. The combined…

Gandara, Patricia C.; Samulon, Marta (1983). Factors Influencing the Implementation of Language Assistance Programs. A study of the existing local needs, resources, and services for limited English speaking residents of the United States was undertaken to clarify local, state, and federal responsibility for the provision of services. For a small but representative sample consisting of eight school districts serving minority language students, the study provides answers to five questions: (1) What services are being delivered? (2) How do the patterns of service vary by district type? (3) What specific deficiencies in language assistance services are perceived by beneficiary groups and educators? (4) What is the apparent cause of these deficiencies? and (5) Do local beneficiary groups and educators see any need for federal regulation, and if so, what should the rules encompass? Key findings include these: (1) services to language minority students vary enormously among school districts; (2) language assistance services are seldom available in secondary schools despite the growing need; (3) few… [PDF]

Lamberg, Walter J.; And Others (1978). Training in Identifying Oral Reading Departures from Text Which Can Be Explained As Spanish-English Phonological Differences. Two studies were undertaken to investigate the effect of a tutoring practicum module. This module was designed to improve the performance of education undergraduates using the informal inventory (IRI) in making auditory discriminations during oral reading between departures from text that either could or could not be explained as phonological between Spanish and English. In the first study, 31 IRI-trained undergraduates in elementary reading instruction were divided into experimental and control groups with module-trained students in each. In the second study, 35 IRI-inexperienced undergraduate students in an introductory class in elementary reading methods were divided into experimental and control groups. A pretest-treatment-posttestdesign was used with control groups, and intergroup-intragroup mean scores of pretests and posttests were compared by t-test. Subjects with IRI and module training had a significant increase in correct responses and a nonsignificant decrease in…

Irvine, David J. (1977). Evaluation Methodology for a French Language Immersion Program. The Plattsburgh French Language Immersion Program (FLIP) is designed to enrich the education of majority-group children. In discussing evaluation methodology for FLIP, the general problems of evaluating a program are discussed, as well as reactions to details of the design developed by the research group for FLIP. Evaluation is distinguished from research as the determination of how well a particular program is working and what processes account for its effectiveness. The research design for FLIP is criticized in terms of the number of measures called for, the small size of the experimental and control groups which possibly influences results, the form in which hypotheses are stated, the way in which academic achievement is measured, and the fact that a number of variables are not controlled for. Questions raised concern which theory of child development will be the basis for research, how FLIP fits into such a scheme and the kinds of questions that need to be answered about FLIP,…

Amandes, Jo; Criscoe, Betty L. (1977). A Descriptive Review of Commercial Bilingual Materials. This review of commercial bilingual materials lists materials produced by sixty-six publishing houses and other educational suppliers. The materials are listed in order of the company that produces them, and are designed to be used with Spanish-speaking children. Materials listed include books, films, records, cassettes, and kits, and are printed in Spanish, English, or in both languages. (CLK)…

Moll, Luis C. (1981). The Microethnographic Study of Bilingual Schooling. This paper discusses several interrelated features of microethnography that are relevant and useful for the study of bilingual schooling. It is argued that an interactional approach provides a powerful way to study systematically the organization of bilingual learning environment, identify areas of difficulty, and suggest concrete interventions for beneficial change. A recent study conducted in a bilingual school is used to illustrate the following key aspects of microethnography: (1) the use of videotape as a data collection tool, (2) the participation of teachers as co-researchers, (3) the study of context as an interactional notion, (4) the use of communicative activities as unit of analysis, and (5) a focus on the role of the adult in the construction of learning environments. It is shown that microethnographic studies provide valuable insights into how learning is mediated by the adults in the classroom and how concrete activities of communication shape the way children cope…

Narvaez, Dabney (1981). Sharing Social Meaning in the Bilingual Classroom: A Study of Requests. This paper describes how two four-year-old children who are becoming bilingual (Spanish and English) make requests in the classroom. Emerging patterns include: (1) a tendency to rely more heavily on requests for action and attention then requests for information and permission, (2) a tendency to make requests of peers more frequently than of teachers, (3) overall competence in making requests of most types in both languages with one language favored depending upon playmates and activities, (4) discourse patterns for the children were different in each language, and (5) a high level of success by both children in making requests in both languages with teachers and peers. Judging from the children's strong reliance on certain request types more than others, it appears that for children becoming bilingual, certain requests may be more useful or needed in carrying on classroom conversation. In addition, the results suggest that very young second language speakers quickly learn to make…

Anderson, R. Bryan (1981). English for Driving–Student Workbook. Intended for use in conjunction with an accompanying teacher's guide and set of visuals, this workbook is in large part a picture dictionary of driving vocabulary with practice exercises to help prepare non-native speakers of English for driver training class. Topics covered in the workbook are automobiles, directions in an automobile, signals, parts of a car, roads, driving maneuvers, giving directions, equipment inside the car, using the controls, checking traffic, starting the car, going forward, backing up, turns, turning around, stopping and parking, following, changing lanes, passing, parking, merging, hazards, traffic controls, safe driving, accidents, breaking the law, service stations, tools for the car, and driver license application forms. Among those types of exercises provided are substitution, spelling, oral practice, matching, writing, paraphrase, and fill-in-the-blank exercises. (The related teacher's guide and visuals are available separately–see note.) (MN)…

Chu, Harold S. (1981). Testing Instruments for Reading Skills: English and Korean (Grades One to Three). MORE (Minimal Objectives for Reading Essentials) in English and Korean is organized by levels for the purpose of diagnostic testing and instruction for limited English proficient Korean students in bilingual and/or English as a second language classrooms. This program suggests that the development of English reading skills by limited English proficient students should be based on children's first language in terms of transferability of reading skills in the areas of auditory/visual discimination, phoneme/grapheme correspondence, structural analysis, vocabulary, and literal and interpretive comprehension. The Inventory at each level has 15 objectives (17 for grade 1 and 16 for grade 2 in Korean). Each objective has five test items. Administration and scoring of the Inventory is the responsibility of the classroom teachers. It is also the teacher's responsibility to maintain the individual and class Profile Sheets. The results of this diagnostic Inventory should be used for… [PDF]

Met, Myriam (1978). Spanish Bilingual Program Curriculum Guide (Elementary Schools). Level I. Second Revision. This volume of the curriculum guide provides the content of the curriculum, the performance objectives for each unit, and suggests learning experiences to achieve the desired outcomes for Level I. The first section on scope and sequence of the program is arranged in a chart format and outlines the content for each unit in the following categories: (1) culture and cross-cultural contrasts; (2) vocabulary; (3) pronunciation and listening skills; and (4) morphology, syntax and usage. Another series of charts presents the lexical content of each unit. The final section of the book provides detailed weekly lesson plans for each of the ten units. (AMH)…

Met, Myriam (1978). Spanish Bilingual Program Curriculum Guide (Elementary Schools). Level II. Second Revision. This volume of the curriculum guide provides the content of the curriculum, the performance objectives for each unit, and suggests learning experiences to achieve the desired outcomes for Level 2. The first section on scope and sequence of the program is arranged in a chart format and outlines the content for each unit in the following categories: (1) culture and cross-cultural contrasts; (2) vocabulary; (3) pronunciation and listening skills; and (4) morphology, syntax, and usage. Another series of charts presents the lexical content of each unit. The final section of the book provides detailed weekly lesson plans for each of the ten units. (AMH)…

Lombardo, Maria (1981). An Analysis of the Reading and Cognitive Development of Italian-American Bilingual and Monolingual Students. This is a comparative study of the cognitive, reading, and achievement levels of Italian Americans in bilingual programs and of their monolingual Italian and American peers. Three groups of students age 10 to 13 were matched within and across groups, according to schools, grade level, dialect, and socioeconomic status. Group I was subdivided into Italian Americans born in the United States and in southern Italy. Group II consisted of Italian students who emigrated from southern to northern Italy. Group III was composed of American students. Factors including number of years in the United States, sex, age, grade, environment, teacher estimate, and report card grades were analyzed. To examine cognitive and reading levels, a nonverbal intelligence measure and reading tests were administered. Achievement was determined by combining teacher estimates and report card grades. The data were then analyzed in order to: (1) indicate which of the variables (cognitive, reading, and achievement…

Aguilar, Rosalie M. (1978). Dos Amigos… (Two Friends…). Intended for supplementary reading material for Spanish speaking children in elementary grades, this illustrated Spanish text was developed by students in the Bilingual Teacher Aide Program at Mesa Community College. Both language and content have been controlled to provide linguistically and culturally sensitive material relevant to the experience of the Chicano child of the Southwest. The story centers around Teresita Tortilla who one day encounters a strange newcomer on the kitchen table. He is square and white with corners the color of coffee and he calls himself Pablo Pan. Teresita and Pablo become better acquainted and learn all about each other. They discuss the grain families they come from and find they are related. They discover what each is used for and compare their similarities. Once strangers, Teresita Tortilla and Pablo Pan become good friends. (DS)…