Examples are provided in this discussion to indicate the nature of professional judgment in a teaching situation likely to be encountered by most child care workers or preschool teachers. Specifically, this predicament involves a problem in turn taking among 4-year-olds. As used here, the term "professional judgment" refers to cognitive…

More than 20 alternative curriculum models for early childhood education have been developed. One of the more recently developed is the Enabler Model, which is intended to provide regular on-site support, guidance and assistance to a local community for the implementation of preschool, day care and/or other early childhood programs. The Enabler…

Points out that the recent increase in attention given to Head Start, child care, and preschool programs since the beginning of the new presidential administration should be utilized by the early childhood education community to remind decision makers of the need for increased funding for these programs. (MDM)

The aims of the International Education Association's Preprimary Project are to examine developmentally relevant characteristics of the socialization environments of 4-year-olds in participating countries, and to ascertain the relationships between those characteristics and selected developmental outcomes. Phase I of the project consists primarily…

This paper discusses several types of ethical problems encountered by day care and preschool workers, and suggests guidelines for developing a code of ethics for early childhood practitioners. Topics dicussed include the meaning of a code of ethics; the need for such a code for early childhood practitioners; examples of ethical problems involving…

In six brief chapters, mixed-age grouping of young children in schools and child care centers is explored and advocated. Chapter 1 defines mixed-age grouping, examines limitations of single-age grouping, and points out positive characteristics of mixed-age classes. Chapter 2 discusses social development as seen in children's interactions in…

The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the ideas and proposals in 10 papers commissioned by the National Center for Education Statistics to identify issues in early childhood education which have major relevance to public policy. Part I offers a brief overview of the context in which the issues were raised, focusing on current trends,…

The major thesis of this paper is that the stimulation of children's intellectual development may require greater intensity in the relationships between adults and children in preschool programs than is typically the case. The author separates two variables in adult-child relationships: warmth and intensity. Warmth is generally defined as…