Preparing educators to work with students from diverse backgrounds. (Among The Periodicals).

In this issue of "Among the Periodicals," Anarella Cellitti reviews current articles related to educating children and youth from diverse populations. Several of the articles reviewed deal with multicultural and multilingual education. --J.A.

Multicultural and multilingual education have become major issues for educators in the United States, Canada, and other countries. In the United States, for example, the recent wave of families and children arriving daily from Mexico, Central and South America, and Asia adds to the complexities that already exist in schools.

In addition to educating culturally diverse populations, school districts are currently wrestling with decisions concerning the implementation of bilingual education or English as a Second Language. Even the best educators are unsure how to provide appropriate educational experiences and attend to the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical needs of all children.

Faculty in colleges and schools of education also face the difficult task of preparing teachers to work with an increasingly diverse student population. One of the challenges is providing students with experiences that promote the study of their own cultures. These complex issues call for curriculum adaptations that promote cultural knowledge and address issues related to children's need for belonging, acceptance, and socialization in increasingly heterogeneous settings.

The articles reviewed here touch upon many of the issues mentioned above. Teacher educators are encouraged to consider how the following literature can be used in preservice courses as well as inservice education.

Anarella Cellitti is Associate Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Alabama at Birmingham.