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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. What was Ashton-Warner's response to the problems with the set early readers?

2. What was the ideal number of students to whom a teacher could give individual attention?

3. What word did Ashton-Warner say few boys did not know how to spell?

4. What did the junior assistant or a senior pupil sometimes do with the younger students during shared reading?

5. How did Ashton-Warner describe the vocabulary in most set early readers?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. In what way does nature provide lessons that books or indoor plantings cannot?

4. What did Ashton-Warner mean when she referred to a workbook as a "middleman"?

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

6. Why did Ashton-Warner describe the language of published first readers as "dead"?

7. How did modern life in New Zealand make it difficult for people to use their inner resources?

8. By what process was spelling taught in Ashton-Warner's classroom?

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

10. How can a teacher tell when a book is valuable to her students, according to Ashton-Warner?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The great Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy, developed and operated a school for peasant children that Ashton-Warner expressed admiration for. The school day was long and students were given significant freedom to choose what subjects to study and when. Is this school model possible on a larger scale or is it something that can only be done on a small scale, under unique circumstances? What are the benefits of allowing students to go at their own pace and explore the subjects most dear to them? What happens to standardized curricula and school-wide tests in such a situation?

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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