Abstract: This study provides an overview of the development of American educational thoughts and analyzes how American teachers carry on their teaching practice in P.K.Yonge Elementary School reading class from three aspects: pre-class lesson plan, in-class instructions and after-class assessment, combined with a rough look at the overall reading class in the United States. Based on the case study, this paper extracts the American educational thoughts in the United States so as to offer some implications and suggestions to Chinese educators. 

Key words: American children’s educational thoughts; elementary school; reading class; reading teaching

CONTENTS

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction.1

2. Literature Review and Theoretical Framework.2

2.1 Children’s Educational Thoughts

2.2 Development of Children’s Educational Thoughts in America

2.2.1 Essentialism

  2.2.2 Perennialism

2.2.3 Progressivism

  2.2.4 Reconstructionism

2.2.5 Existentialism

2.3 Mainstreams of Children’s Educational Thoughts in Contemporary U.S. Society

  2.3.1 Universal Design for Learning 

  2.3.2 Response to Interventions

  2.3.3 Differentiate Instructions

3. Case Study of P.K. Yonge Elementary School Reading Class.6

3.1 P.K. Yonge Elementary School Reading class

  3.1.1 Pre-class Lesson Plan

  3.1.2 In-class Instructions

  3.1.3 After-class Assessments

3.2 Research Method

4. Findings and Analysis.9

4.1 Main Findings of P.K.Yonge Elementary School reading class 

4.2 American Elementary School Reading Class

4.3 Assessment of the Influence of American Children’s Educational Thoughts on Children

4.4 Implications on English Reading Teaching in Elementary Schools in China  

5. Conclusion.15

Bibliography17

Acknowledgements.19