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. In what season was the story of The Three Goats told?

2. According to Ashton-Warner, what is the only answer to destructiveness?

3. Which student picked the word bomb as a first key word?

4. What activity was NOT included under the 2:10-3 p.m. time slot under "Daily Rhythm"?

5. What did Ashton-Warner sometimes use to break up the difficult work of writing?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was Ashton-Warner's reaction to the sometimes violent imagery used in the children's stories?

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

3. What did Ashton-Warner mean by "tone" in the classroom?

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

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

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

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

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

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

10. What is wrong with the cadence in many published first readers?

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

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?

Essay Topic 3

The Maori children in Ashton-Warner's classroom encountered racism from the majority white population in New Zealand. How did these attitudes affect the students at home and in the community? How did it affect them in the classroom? Did having a white teacher have an impact on them, even if she was open and accepting of them? How do societal assumptions and expectations impact a child's ability to perform in school? Do children internalize the prejudices they encounter or are they able to escape them in the classroom? How do teachers deal with the impact these prejudices may have on their students? Is it possible to fully counter them in school?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,109 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample