Three hypotheses concerning the problems of disadvantaged children developed during the 1960s: (1) they are deprived; (2) they are deficient in certain skills and knowledge; and (3) they are not so much deprived or deficient as they are different, with strengths that should be respected and maximized. These hypotheses provide a background for four questions concerning early childhood education: (1) What kinds of goals make sense? Are we committed to academic goals, which involve fulfilling requirements and getting good scores, or intellectual goals, which involve inquiry and experimentation? (2) What do we have to do to accomplish these goals? Open classrooms, in which students pursue their own interests and acquire skills as tools with which to study their environment, are recommended. Behavior modification techniques should be used only with knowledge of the reasons for the behaviors exhibited. (3) What qualities of teachers are needed to realize these goals? To be effective, teachers must be both warm and strong. (4) What administrative qualities must exist to meet these goals? The qualities of the administration--leadership style, friction/supportiveness--are reflected in interaction between teachers and students. (KM)