View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. Why did Ashton-Warner object to the use of terms such as "do not" in early readers?

2. How were the children's stories "produced"?

3. Which student's parents fought frequently and violently at night?

4. What is a "pa"?

5. From where, according to Ashton-Warner, did most New Zealand children develop a "mass mind"?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. How did early exposure to white cultural norms adversely affect the Maori?

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

5. Why was it important for the teacher to be a good conversationalist in the classroom?

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

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

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

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

10. What was the connection Ashton-Warner drew between the infant room and war and peace?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Based on categorizing the "first words" collected from her students, Ashton-Warner decided that there were two main instincts represented in these words--fear and sex. Is that a fair and accurate assessment? Are these two "emotions" universal (in terms of being expressed as "first words" among children)? Is fear something that all children feel and need to express? What is their likely understanding of the role of sex in their lives and the life of their community? Would children of different cultures also focus on words related to fear and sex and would those words differ from the Maori ones? What do these first words say about human nature?

Essay Topic 2

A professor told Ashton-Warner that "tidiness kills education." She so admired the expression that she asked him to repeat it. How was this philosophy reflected in Ashton-Warner's teaching style? What advantages are there to maintaining a sense of chaos and disorder in the classroom? Is learning a neat and tidy activity, or is it naturally messy? How can teachers ensure that maintaining a "neat" classroom does not interfere with students' natural learning patterns?

Essay Topic 3

Many of Ashton-Warner's children used violent imagery in their writings, some of it reflecting their daily family life, some of it made up. In most schools today, that sort of imagery would be a cause for concern. Is it wise to allow students to express themselves in their writing if it is violent? Should teachers and school officials question the content of a student's writing? Why did Ashton-Warner allow her students to write in this way? Were their any advantages to doing so? Could students with emotional problems or bad home environments benefit from having an outlet for their feelings at school? Or do schools have a responsibility to rein in children's violent feelings for the sake of the entire class?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,124 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample