European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 9, 1969, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Ii team teaching foreign language programs non graded classes new math and other developments Are revolutionizing elementary schools. By James Cunter is staff writer one Ever fails in the first three years at some of the . Dependents elementary schools in Europe furthermore there Are no first secondhand third grades. Instead a child under goes frequent testing and is placed in group which works at his level. It s part of the non graded system which is becoming prevalent in Gram mar schools. Some educators prefer Socall it a system of continuous Progress Lor the  mom and pad Are sometimes puzzled about what is happening in Theu Desea schools it s because the traditional three is have developed fourth b and it stands for revolution. The changes that have taken place recently in the Early school years Are momentous. F. Six year Olds Are learning foreign languages Good readers learn to use the is photos by Jim Cole Library and pursue an enriched pro Gram which is supposed to Challenge Naty Junior May get precious Little help with Bis arithmetic at Home because his folks Don t understand the new math. One father confessed he always goes to the bathroom and locks the door i order to work out mathematical prob lems in the old fashioned Way so he can Check his son s answers another development is team teach ing a teacher who is Good at music or Art May Swap classes with Arche who is Good a math so the a Wadren of both rooms get the Benefit of the Strong Points of each teacher. The boys and girls get their Teeth checked by a school dentist. They Are tested for tuberculosis by a school  Newry 9, 1969 if they seem emotionally upset the May be referred to a psychiatric social worker. There Are special classes for the Blind deaf and mentally retarded see pages 12-13. U instead of report cards some schools substitute regular Parent teacher conferences. The books and materials used in the schools Are under constant review. New texts Are tried out in Pilot programs. The sons and daughters of military families accustomed to changing schools every few years carry their own personnel files from place to place in the elementary schools we Are becoming More concerned with attitudes and adaptability said Alexander , principal of the Mainz Elemen tary school. ? we think a great Many oftness children when they grow up will be working at jobs which do not even exist now.".  the Gen. Hoyt s. Vandenberg elementary school in Wiesbaden the first three years Are non graded an youngsters Are grouped into u Levels. Most of them Complete All u Stagesin three years and some second year youngsters Are Reabun at what Tise Tobe a he Ltd Grade Pace. However they Are kept together Watt other to year Eji Sand Are not allowed to skip into an older class,4tsome of our students read the stars and stripes and the Herald Tribune every Day said Robin o. Gartner the principal. We Don t have students fall the first few years although some of cover Linda Malone tap works on speech problem. Heidelberg putt hot torn left learns music with tone Block Obue maim Tehua samples myst win Jef new math Tow the stars and St Mac of. The traditional three r a have developed a fourth r and it stands for revolution. The changes that have taken place in the Early school years Are momentous. The teachers have to be first to accept the idea. There is a constantly changing faculty in the dependent schools so there is much in service training. A child s continuous progresses based on teacher  it is impossible to test the effective Ness of the continuous Progress sys tem but the thing we notice most i that the children seem happier and there is less frustration Vandagriff said. Afternoon classes Are not held on week each year and parents Are encouraged to go to school and conf Erwith teachers on the Progress and be Havior of their children. Almost All of the fathers and mothers show up. Some schools even use such Parent teacher conferences in lieu of report cards. Team teaching is cooperative teach ing said Gartner who is in his third year As the head of the Wiesbaden school and has worked in us Desea for 13 years. We have a sixth Grade teacher who is Good in Art and English who teams up with a fourth Grade teacher who knows a lot about music. Flexible scheduling comes into  sixth Grade teacher mrs. Verna Hall was just taking another class into her room for an Art lesson. The plan was Page u them May be slow to Progress from on level to another. This system allows each student to Progress at his own  some schools we use report cards but they Don t give grades. The just rate the work As unsatisfactory satisfactory or  the Reading teacher works with the child and finds out what level he should be in and places him in a group commensurate with his ability said Prin Cipal Michael a. Fay of the Berlin elementary school. The teacher must con Gnu Ousby Check to be sure the child is at the right  use this system of continuous Progress to a certain extent in math but the whole primary system is based on  said his a Al is to enrich he program for exceptional students so that the level is always High enough to Chal Lenge . Jerry Vandagriff of Hobbs n.m., who gave up a Job teaching education courses at the University of Tennessee to become assistant elementary school principal to Berlin said continuous Progress the Fra where a cow is an Start Roitt there instead of the locked step Advance in the same Book it the same time