Discusses the importance of skillful planning to good teaching and presents ways of helping teachers become good planners.

This publication about pre-school nursery design illustrates major issues and ideas about these spaces and provides comprehensive guidance for the planners and designers of such spaces. The author presents examples of historical and contemporary kindergartens that demonstrate practical ways that educational theory can be incorporated into new…

Although research shows that young children's life experiences impact their kindergarten readiness, there are differences between parents and educators as to what those experiences should be. Schools can help by developing a community-wide understanding of the most important skills and by providing information and education to help families and…

The manual suggests steps, procedures, best practices, and key concepts to create and maintain successful interagency collaboration in the delivery of services to preschool handicapped children. Considered are the concept of collaboration, the rationale for its development, and a means of assessing a community to determine the needs and potential…

The paper examines barriers faced by educators and administrators in serving young handicapped children in rural areas and suggests approaches to overcoming these barriers. Among problems identified are transportation; funding shortages due to a lower tax base and higher levels of poverty; unemployment, and seasonal employment; staff shortages;…

The 1987-88 annual report reviews progress on 17 longitudinal studies to determine the efficacy of early intervention with handicapped children. The overview chapter reviews previous research on this topic; considers ethical, practical, and scientific considerations of randomized experiments in early childhood special education; examines benefits…

The paper is a product of the 3-year project, "Functional Mainstreaming for Success," designed to develop a model for instructional mainstreaming of handicapped children (3-6 years old) in community settings. The literature review on teacher attitudes toward mainstreaming stresses implication of these attitudes for successful mainstreaming, and…

The paper is a product of the 3-year project, "Functional Mainstreaming for Success," designed to develop a model for instructional mainstreaming of handicapped children (3-6 years old) in community settings. The literature review examines activities and methods to prepare nonhandicapped children for the mainstreaming of handicapped children.…

Outlines the process of evaluation of early childhood programs by administrators and teachers. Offers guidelines for formulating questions to be used in evaluation of these program dimensions: effort, process, adequacy of performance, and efficiency. (NH)

Suggests strategies for finding an appropriate bank for a day care center, maintaining a good relationship with a bank once one has been selected, and obtaining and repaying a day care center loan. (SKC)

A playground safety checklist provides an up-to-date play area inspection system based on standards from the American Society for Testing and Materials' F 1487-95 and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's Handbook for Public Playground Safety (1994). Guidelines address "public" playground equipment installed in parks, schools,…

Research on playground design in Japan and England offers challenges to the logic behind how playgrounds in the United States are designed. This paper presents observations of outdoor environments for children and youth in Japan and England where the space is not only useful and safe but also contributes to learning and play that reflects the…

This booklet focuses on the role of interagency agreements in facilitating the transition of young children and their families from early intervention services to preschool services as children turn 3 years of age. Interagency agreements can be viewed as an "invisible brace" supporting families and staff as they consider many issues in moving from…

The manual is intended to encourage Head Start program and school district collaboration in providing an integrated system of services and support for the preschool handicapped child. The introduction identifies specific benefits of collaboration followed by a list of definitions of common terms used by the Head Start programs and school…

The paper is a product of the 3-year project, "Functional Mainstreaming for Success," designed to develop a model for instructional mainstreaming of handicapped children (3-6 years old) in community settings. Thirty-two sources were reviewed which deal with the teacher competencies needed by regular teachers for successful mainstreaming.…