Democracy, citizenship education and inclusion: a multi-dimensional approach

Both democratic citizenship education and inclusion share a common ethos and language based on concerns for human rights, social justice, and a sense of community. Both aim at the building of democratic relationships. But it is fair to say that for a long time citizenship educators and advocates of inclusion have either spoken past each other, or have not communicated or articulated their arguments. This essay offers a multi-dimensional framework under which citizenship educators and advocates of inclusion can share a common agenda, seeking socially just and democratic schools.

The Development of Children's Knowledge about Inner Speech

Two studies demonstrated that preschool children have little knowledge and awareness of inner speech. Study 1 showed that, in contrast to 6-to7-year-olds and adults, 4-year-olds usually did not infer that a person silently engaged in such intrinsically verbal mental activities as reading, counting, or recalling items from a shopping list was saying things to herself. They also tended to deny that covert speech is a possible human activity. Study 2 demonstrated that 4-and 5 year-olds are much poorer than adults at detecting their own inner speech. Children seem to acquire this sort of knowledge and awareness during the early school years, perhaps through experiencing their own inner speech while reading, writing, adding, and subtracting.     

Using principles to help undergraduates learn about leadership

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of action research by ten preservice teachers earning their associate's degree in early childhood education from a small university in the West. Their goal was to assess the impact of their teaching on student learning with children birth to 8 years of age. This study represents the use of undergraduate action research in early childhood at the associate degree level, and also contributes to the early childhood teacher education knowledge base in the use of the action research method in early learning centers as a means of professional development as well as a tool to guide daily instruction, problem solving, and decision making.

Using a variety of informal assessment procedures, the preservice teachers studied the effects of specific learning strategies or activities, first upon the development and learning of the young children they taught, and then upon the results from the assessments in order to guide further instruction.     

The Los Angeles County response to child abuse and deafness: a social movement theory analysis

There is increasingly strong evidence that children with disabilities are at higher risk for maltreatment when compared to children without disabilities. There is also concern about the adequacy of child welfare services for children and parents with disabilities, particularly those disabilities that result in a communication impairment. This article describes a successful community practice effort in Los Angeles County that resulted in the establishment of a comprehensive array of linguistically and culturally competent child abuse prevention and treatment services for the maltreated deaf child and for the deaf parent at risk for child abuse perpetration. Social movement theory is used to analyze a change effort that was developed and implemented by a broad coalition of members of the Deaf and hearing communities. Elements of the problem, social movement theory, the coalition, the change strategy, and the results are described.     

ACTION RESEARCH WITH GRADUATE STUDENTS: A TOOL FOR ACTIVE LEARNING

Abstract

This research explored the needs, expectations, and experiences of early childhood teachers as they worked together in graduate study. The study looked at data collected from graduate students in three courses that were part of a pilot program. In this program, traditional (M.Ed. students) and non‐traditional (uncertified teachers working in low SES urban child care centers) graduate students were enrolled in the same early childhood graduate courses. Following New Jersey Supreme Court mandated universal preschool in 30 low SES districts, non‐traditional students were required to obtain the new (P‐3) teaching certification. Results showed that most students valued their learning experiences. Additionally, combining the two groups of learners created significantly more ethnic diversity in the graduate classes. Challenges included decreasing class size, creating a sense of community for learners from diverse backgrounds and experiences, and maintaining the rigor of course material while meeting the needs of students who do not have a strong theoretical background.     

Cautions in interpreting WRAT standard scores as criterion measures of achievement in young children

The present article calls into question the use of the WRAT as a criterion measure for determining ability/achievement discrepancies in young school-aged children. It is demonstrated that the use of regression equations to predict the expected achievement levels of five- and six-year-old children on the WRAT still does not rectify the difficulties in identifying underachievement for children in the lower primary grades. Implications for the early identification of specific learning disabilities are discussed.     

“We Talked About Sex.” “No,We Didn't”: Exploring Adolescent and Parent Agreement About Sexuality Communication

Family communication about sex can protect adolescents from risky behavior, like early sex and sex without protection. However, adolescents and parents often disagree about whether they talked with each other about sexual issues, limiting the protective effects of communication. Few studies explore these disagreements. This study included 27 pairs of early adolescents and parents. Adolescent and parent interviews were coded for agreement in reports of sexuality communication. Adolescents’ interview themes were compared across levels of agreement between adolescent–parent dyads. Adolescents who highly agreed with their parents were more likely than those who did not to describe positive parental approaches to sexuality communication and awareness of parental perspectives, while no group differences were found for responses to parents’ viewpoints. Study findings highlight the importance of sex education programs that support adolescent–parent sexuality communication, particularly for middle school students.     

In the Boat with Only One Oar: The Creation and Adventures of an MSW Consultation Group

This article explores a faculty-facilitated consultation group that was created for MSW students in an academic setting as a response to the paucity of group work supervision and training available in many field placements. This study considers the context in which training occurs, the impact of systemic and professional factors, which includes diminished economic resources, on the quality and availability of direct group work supervision. Moreover, the prevalence of interns facilitating groups without training, consultation, or supervision is discussed. This consultation group was created as a response to felt and expressed need by MSW students. The developmental trajectory of the group from conception to termination is presented, and the article concludes with lessons learned by the facilitator.