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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How many other books preceded the development of the Maori transitional readers?

2. Where did Ashton-Warner say many classrooms grow seeds for indoor study?

3. What did the students do with their cards after they were handed out?

4. How long were Ashton-Warner's seven-year-old students able to write?

5. At what time of the day was "paste paint" listed in Ashton-Warner's daily schedule?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Ashton-Warner find the European and American early readers two-dimensional?

2. Why were "key words" so essential to learning to read?

3. Why was teaching the class so back-breaking, according to Ashton-Warner?

4. What did Ashton-Warner mean when she wrote that "we don't waste enough in school?"

5. In "Workbook," what did Ashton-Warner mean when she said that one cannot plot life?

6. Why did Ashton-Warner throw out words that students did not recognize the second time?

7. What was the role of handwriting in the Maori students' stories?

8. Why did Ashton-Warner believe that standardized reading texts were damaging to children?

9. Why did Ashton-Warner say that the discussions of the children's stories were the "most significant" feature of the class?

10. Why was the class so noisy while the children studied their individual key words and what did that noise signify?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Maori girls in Ashton-Warner's classroom experienced success on the basketball court. Write an essay discussing the role of sports in academics. How does participation in team sports help students in the classroom? How does it help in other areas of life? How can schools ensure that the benefits of participation in sports are extended to all students, regardless of athletic ability?

Essay Topic 2

Ashton-Warner's students spend much time dancing in the classroom, whether as a form of exercise or in free-dance exploration. Write an essay exploring the use of dance in the classroom. What are the benefits of giving students access to this art form? Are the benefits solely physical? Does dance help center children and does it have an effect on concentration? How can free-dance periods help children express themselves and how can that impact other areas of the curriculum?

Essay Topic 3

Ashton-Warner wrote about the "Golden Section" in education and how she incorporated nature into the classroom. What are the benefits of teaching about nature in the classroom? How does nature provide insights into other areas of the curriculum? Ashton-Warner's classroom was somewhat unique in that the nature was right outside and sometimes even entered the classroom. How do teachers living in more urban environments bring nature into the classroom? Is it possible for all teachers to take their students out into actual natural settings or can there be benefits to bringing natural lessons into the physical classroom? How does the natural world speak to children and how can that be harnessed?

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