"Making the Grade analyzes the condition of public school funding in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The current report presents a picture of school funding in 2020-2021, the first full school year of the COVID-19 pandemic and the most recent data available. The report ranks and grades each state on three measures to answer the…

This practical resource explains brain development from prenatal to age 8 with suggestions for activities educators and caregivers can use to foster children's cognitive growth. The authors begin with the basics of brain development, and the issues that affect it, and then provide information specific to infant, toddler, preschool, and…

In statehouses, school boards, and communities across the US, battles are raging over the direction of education policy--from the standards that are shaping what students learn to how test results are being used to judge a teacher's performance. These battles are being waged against a backdrop of shifting demographics, rapidly developing…

The Big Lift™ (Big Lift) is a preschool-third-grade collective impact initiative in San Mateo County, California. The initiative is a partnership of the County of San Mateo, San Mateo County Office of Education, and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Launched in 2012, the initiative aims to boost children's reading proficiency by third grade…

Many parents wonder what they can do to ensure that their preschoolers will be successful when they enter school, especially now with so much emphasis on state testing and learning standards. Through play and everyday activities such as cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping, young children acquire the information and skills needed to learn more…

Transitions--from hospital to home, early intervention to preschool, child care to school--are times of major change for children and families. The resources presented in this article can be used to build the capacity of family members, professionals, and administrators to understand and support transition practices that are thoughtful,…

Activities to develop a healthy self-concept for preschool and kindergarten children are presented in this book. The stated purposes of the book are: (1) to discuss the development of a healthy self-concept in terms that will impact parents, teachers, counselors, and significant others; (2) to discuss ways in which parents, counselors, and…

The paper discusses the roles of educational agencies, teachers, parents, and the children themselves in ensuring successful transitions from special education preschools to mainstreamed kindergarten placements. Factors determining classroom placements for the child include chronological age, results of school readiness and developmental screening…

Attendance in U.S. preschools has risen substantially in recent decades, but gaps in enrollment between children from advantaged and disadvantaged families remain. Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999, we analyze the effect of participation in child care and early education on children's school…

This booklet presents basic information on the transition from early intervention or preschool to school for parents of young children with disabilities living in Ohio. Through extensive graphics and large print, the booklet provides information on the following topics: what transition is; who is involved in transition; requirements for parental…

This Knowledge Essentials book shows parents how to enrich their child's first classroom experience and take an active role in preschool education. This book includes advice and offers information about: (1) What a child is learning at school and the educational standards to expect in preschool-level reading and writing readiness, math, science,…

Following a literature review on speech and language development of twins, case studies are presented of six sets of identical twins screened for entrance into kindergarten. Five sets of the twins and one boy from the sixth set failed to pass the screening test, particularly the speech and language section, and were referred for therapy to correct…

This set of materials consists of two booklets designed to assist parents in helping their children to study and learn appropriate studying skills, beginning at preschool and primary grade levels. Book 1 is designed for use at the preschool level and Book 2 is designed for use at the kindergarten to Grade 3 level. Each of these volumes contains…

Intended for use in in-service instruction for preschool, kindergarten, and first-grade teachers, this publication addresses major issues related to student transition between grades. Contents reflect the practices, strategies, and ideas of discussants, who included principals, teachers and administrators who were members of a task force convened…

Numerous physical, mental, and behavioral activities that parents and their 3- to 5-year-old children can enjoy together are suggested in this activity guidebook. The guide suggests ways parents can give their children a good start at developing the abilities and ideas that are fundamental to all future learning at home before the children begin…