Classroom Processes Brought Alive and Cultural Talks in the Mind. An essay review of Educating Hearts and Minds: Reflections on Japanese Preschool and Elementary Education by Catherine C. Lewis. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995.

This is a very successful book that tries "to bring alive the Japanese preschool and elementary classrooms." The author first visited Japan as a high school exchange student in 1967-1968. That extended stay was full of surprises: the world of Japanese education differed from what she had expected, leading her to compare and contrast the Japanese and U.S. educational systems. Ten years later, in 1979, she began formal research activities related to Japanese education. She visited Japan four times, including a four-month stay during which her two sons attended private preschool and public elementary school. Her book can be characterized as the product of cultural talks within the author's mind that extended over a long period of time. Educating Hearts and Minds is intended for both educators and the general public. The book includes an introduction and nine chapters. Chapter 1 focuses on background factors of the Japanese educational system. Topics covered include teachers' social status (higher than in the United States), national control of curricula and textbooks, class size (larger than in the United States), and avoidance of ability grouping and tracking during the compulsory education years. Chapter 2 describes children's experiences in Japanese preschools. These include play as the central portion of the curriculum, emphasis on building "community" in school settings, various learning opportunities during play sessions, and class meetings to provide time for children and teacher to reflect on the events and problems of the day. Educational approaches