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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 superhero was included in the list of student words in "Organic Reading"?

2. To what ancient writing system did Ashton-Warner refer at the beginning of the book?

3. How did Ashton-Warner "grade" the stories?

4. At what time of day did Ashton-Warner "teach" the Golden Section?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10. How did the students perform when they did expressive dancing versus when they learned specific moves?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At one point in the book, Ashton-Warner admitted that at least one of her white students would have performed better had he been given access to the "white" readers she hated so much. Did her efforts on behalf of her Maori students come at a cost for her white students? Is it possible to help one previously disadvantaged group while also ensuring that the "advantaged" group does not fall behind? Should teachers base their teaching on reaching specific groups or should all the students, regardless of background, be expected to conform to the standard used in that classroom? Is it possible--or desirable--to differentiate instruction in a diverse classroom?

Essay Topic 2

Ashton-Warner wrote at length about the importance of tone in the classroom. Write an essay exploring how tone is set in the classroom and how several people have a role in setting that tone. Does the tone have to be the same from classroom to classroom or school to school? Or should there be variations based on the unique needs of the teachers and students? How does a teacher determine what tone works best for her students and how does she achieve that tone, especially if it differs from what she would normally like to see?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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