The article begins with a brief history of how teachers were trained and children were grouped in American education, and describes how elementary and special education teacher-training programs emerged as two distinctly separate processes. The authors contend that a relatively recent knowledge base has emerged that permits all teachers to understand and meet the educational needs of individual children in the context of their developmental levels and stages, using both general and specific information. This new breed of developmentally oriented general educator is described, and the need for such teachers is addressed. It is suggested that elementary and special education teacher training programs be combined into a single program using developmental theory as the unifying theme. A program currently being implemented at La Salle University is described.
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