Children\u27s Books

Fiona Raps It Up. Frank Remkiewicz. Lothrop, Lee and Shepard, (1995); Badger\u27s Bring Something Party. Hiawyn Oram. Lothrop, Lee, and Shepard, (1995); Yours Till Banana Splits, The Gator Girls, and My New Kitten. Joanna Cole. William Morrow and Company. (1995); Counting Wildflowers. Bruce McMillan. William Morrow and Company, (1995); Armadillo Rodeo. Jan Brett. G.P. Putnam\u27s Sons, (1995

Professional Materials

Through Writing to Reading, Classroom Strategies for Supporting Literacy. Brigid Smith. (1994

Understanding the Diminishing Academic Advantage of Full-Day Kindergarten

Most people agree that young children benefit academically from attending kindergarten; however, some research suggests that any academic advantage attributed to attending full-day kindergarten compared to half-day programs will disappear as early as third grade. Based on the results of this study which looked at students in typical classroom settings, a likely explanation for this is that teachers often provide considerable remedial assistance to low achieving students. Once students meet benchmark expectations, instruction tends to broaden to other instructional objectives. We also found that in practice distinguishing between full- and half-day programs based solely on time in school is problematic. Many schools offering full-day kindergarten do not provide a full day of academic instruction, and many teachers see little value of doing so

Creative Endeavors: Inspiring Creativity in a First Grade Classroom

With an emphasis on high-stakes testing and a focused curriculum, it would seem at times, the joy of creativity is missing from the classroom. This article describes a curricular approach the children named ‘‘Creative Endeavors’’, as implemented by a first grade teacher. The approach is described in three phases. In the exploratory stage the children were presented with various media, made requests for additional materials, and explored different forms of expression. In the second phase the children made choices based on interests, and typically worked with others in a spirit of collaboration with an emphasis on the process of the project as well as affective responses. In the final phase of intentional planning, children began to independently design, construct, and take responsibility for their project working alone or with others. Phases are intended to provide a blueprint for other teachers to explore creative endeavors in the classroom. Children in this project communicated through various media including sewing, photography, and drama. Through collaborating with peer and choosing projects, the children became authentically engaged in the various classroom experiences. Although the curricular approach was intended to foster creativity, in each phase writing about their projects became a natural and critical element in the process. Children wrote about their experiences, the steps they took to take part in the process, why they chose it, and reflected upon the projects undertaken

Developing Empathy Through Children's Literature

Empathy is important in social adjustment, and teachers can assist in its development in children. This paper suggests a rationale for encouraging the use of empathy related literature and provides teachers with a children's literature resource of realistic picture books whose stories evoke feelings of empathy. The books listed in this paper were selected because they realistically deal with emphatic elements which will appeal to children ages 4-8

The Effect of an 8-Week Tai Chi Exercise Program on Physical Functional Performance in Middle-Aged Women

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an 8-week Tai Chi Chih exercise program on physical functional performance (PFP) among women aged 45 to 65 years. A quasi-experimental design with a nonequivalent comparison group was used. Forty-one healthy inactive women were assigned to either an intervention group (n = 19) or a comparison group (n = 19). A 60-min Tai Chi Chih exercise class was conducted twice a week for 8 weeks. PFP was measured at baseline and postintervention using the Continuous Scale Physical Functional Performance–10 (CS-PFP 10). Between-group differences were analyzed using one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). After participating in the 8-week program, intervention group participants showed greater improvement in the CS-PFP measures (p .06). However, the comparison group had little changes. The findings from this study suggest that participation in an 8-week Tai Chi Chih exercise program can improve PFP in healthy, community-dwelling middle-aged women.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Effectiveness of Oral Nutritional Supplementation for Older Women after a Fracture: Rationale, Design and Study of the Feasibility of a Randomized Controlled Study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Malnutrition is a problem for many older people recovering from a hip and other major fractures. Oral supplementation with high calorie high protein nutrients is a simple intervention that may help older people with fractures to improve their recovery in terms of rehabilitation time, length of hospital stay and mortality. This paper reports a pilot study to test the feasibility of a trial initiated in a hospital setting with an oral supplement to older people with recent fractures.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>A randomized controlled trial with 44 undernourished participants admitted to a hospital following a fracture. The intervention group (n = 23) received a high calorie high protein supplement for forty days in addition to their diet of choice. The control group (n = 21) received high protein milk during their hospital stay in addition to their diet of choice and their usual diet when discharged from hospital.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All participants were women and their mean age was 85.3 (± 6.1) years. Twenty nine (65%) participants had a hip fracture. At baseline no differences were measured between the two groups regarding their nutritional status, their cognitive ability or their abilities in activities of daily living. There were no significant differences between the intervention and control group with reference to nutritional or functional parameters at 40 day and 4 month follow-ups. Median length of stay in hospital was 18.0 days, with 12 participants being readmitted for a median of 7.0 days.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>It is feasible to perform a randomised trial in a hospital and community setting to test the effect of an oral high energy high protein supplement for older people. Due to the limited number of participants and incomplete adherence with use of the supplements no conclusion can be drawn about the efficacy or effectiveness of this intervention.</p

Basale Kompetenzen vermitteln – Bildungschancen sichern. Perspektiven für die Grundschule. Gutachten der Ständigen Wissenschaftlichen Kommission der Kultusministerkonferenz (SWK). Zusammenfassung

Die Ergebnisse des IQB-Bildungstrends (2021) zeigen, dass eine bedeutende Zahl an Grundschüler:innen die Mindeststandards in Deutsch und Mathematik verfehlt (18-22 Prozent). Diesen Kindern fehlt die Voraussetzung für erfolgreiches Weiterlernen und damit eine wichtige Grundlage für gesellschaftliche und berufliche Teilhabe. Das Gutachten „Basale Kompetenzen vermitteln – Bildungschancen sichern. Perspektiven für die Grundschule“ der Ständigen Wissenschaftlichen Kommission der Kultusministerkonferenz (SWK) gibt Handlungsempfehlungen hin zu einer systemischen Veränderung der Grundschule. Auf der Grundlage eines Kapitels zur Gestaltung frühkindlicher Bildungsprozesse werden Maßnahmen zur Förderung der basalen sprachlichen und mathematischen Kompetenzen in der Grundschule beschrieben und – korrespondierend – wird die Notwendigkeit der systematischen Implementation der Bildungsstandards begründet. Daran schließen sich Kapitel zur Förderung sozial-emotionaler Kompetenzen, zur Entwicklung von Lern- und Bildungspartnerschaften mit Eltern und zur Zusammenarbeit multiprofessioneller Teams, zur Qualifizierung von Lehrkräften, zur Schulentwicklung sowie zur Reduktion und Kompensation von Segregationseffekten an. Die Handlungsempfehlungen lassen sich vier übergeordneten strategischen Ansatzpunkten zuordnen: (1) Fokussierung der Zielperspektiven auf das Erreichen der Mindeststandards und Förderung dafür erforderlicher basaler Kompetenzen, (2) Fokussierung der Bildungs- und Unterrichtspraxis auf die Förderung basaler Kompetenzen und das Erreichen der Mindeststandards, (3) Qualifizierung des pädagogischen Personals für die Diagnose und Förderung insbesondere basaler Kompetenzen und (4) Schaffung organisatorischer Voraussetzungen als Grundlagen für das Erreichen der Mindeststandards. Diese Zusammenfassung gibt eine Übersicht über die Handlungsempfehlungen des Gutachtens. (DIPF/Orig.

Colorectal cancer survival in the USA and Europe: a CONCORD high-resolution study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the extent to which stage at diagnosis and adherence to treatment guidelines may explain the persistent differences in colorectal cancer survival between the USA and Europe. DESIGN: A high-resolution study using detailed clinical data on Dukes' stage, diagnostic procedures, treatment and follow-up, collected directly from medical records by trained abstractors under a single protocol, with standardised quality control and central statistical analysis. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: 21 population-based registries in seven US states and nine European countries provided data for random samples comprising 12 523 adults (15-99 years) diagnosed with colorectal cancer during 1996-1998. OUTCOME MEASURES: Logistic regression models were used to compare adherence to 'standard care' in the USA and Europe. Net survival and excess risk of death were estimated with flexible parametric models. RESULTS: The proportion of Dukes' A and B tumours was similar in the USA and Europe, while that of Dukes' C was more frequent in the USA (38% vs 21%) and of Dukes' D more frequent in Europe (22% vs 10%). Resection with curative intent was more frequent in the USA (85% vs 75%). Elderly patients (75-99 years) were 70-90% less likely to receive radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Age-standardised 5-year net survival was similar in the USA (58%) and Northern and Western Europe (54-56%) and lowest in Eastern Europe (42%). The mean excess hazard up to 5 years after diagnosis was highest in Eastern Europe, especially among elderly patients and those with Dukes' D tumours. CONCLUSIONS: The wide differences in colorectal cancer survival between Europe and the USA in the late 1990s are probably attributable to earlier stage and more extensive use of surgery and adjuvant treatment in the USA. Elderly patients with colorectal cancer received surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy less often than younger patients, despite evidence that they could also have benefited