In an effort to ensure that the arts receive equity with other areas of study, this paper presents an argument for the value of arts education in children's development. The argument is based on the work of four experts: (1) Nelson Goodman, who held that symbols are indispensable to communication, and that children's capacity for acquiring…

This paper reports on a small-scale introductory study of Australian mothers' experiences of infant day care. Ten employed, middle- and lower-socioeconomic status women with an infant in center-based day care were interviewed. Brief narrative examples from the mothers' accounts are presented. Discussion then concentrates on a new approach to…

This comparison is based on the authors' selective review of literature, observations of Montessori preschools in America and Australia, and experience in early childhood teacher education in Australia. The discussion explores general educational objectives, curricula, children's activities, instructional approaches, and teacher role in preschools…

Parental expectations and perceptions of curriculum content and processes were measured across five preschool programs in the Mt. Druitt Early Childhood Project. Twenty parents from each of the five programs (Cognitive, Competency, Contemporary, Behaviorist and Home-Based) were randomly selected to be interviewed. Interviews were partly open-ended…

Directional preference for horizontal hand movements was investigated in 49 right- and 49 left-handed four-year-olds using three drawing tests. Directionality for more complex perceptual-motor tasks has a different basis than directionality for simple tasks; such directionality is established at a later age but only for the right hand. (Author/CM)

A professional health educator's viewpoint on planning the educational aspects of public health programs at the preschool level. (CM)

Studied patterns of usage and factors behind parental choices of early childhood care and educational services for four- and five-year olds. Found that, regardless of type of service, most parents believed that young children experienced positive learning and developmental outcomes from participation and that, despite problems with each service…

Attitudinal data concerning integration of students with disabilities into regular classrooms were gathered from six groups of Australian educators (principals, regular teachers, resource teachers, school psychologists/counselors, and two groups of preschool directors). Considerable attitudinal differences were found both within and among…

Surveyed parents of young children in a rural area of Australia to determine why some children were not sent to kindergarten and to enumerate service delivery preferences of parents with children in kindergarten. Also presented are results of a survey of kindergarten teachers' attitudes toward changes in delivery of kindergarten services. (KS)

Written as a position statement on educational leadership, this article uses a heart metaphor to delineate a workable managerial framework. Leadership is at the heart of managing all educational levels. Leading is the educational lifeblood that guides and flows into planning, organizing, and monitoring teachers' work. (Contains 43 references.)…

Research has shown that teacher involvement can stimulate and enrich children's play, with positive developmental consequences. This study examined teachers' thinking and practices in relation to the role of the teacher in children's outdoor play. Data were collected from eight preschools through teacher interviews and observations of children's…

Recently, within the field of early childhood education, there has been an increasing emphasis on the role of social construction of knowledge and on the inter-relatedness of aspects of social and cognitive development. This study investigated a proposed relationship between young children's popularity status among peers and a representational…

Technology education as a key learning area can be viewed as the designing, making, and appraising of systems, materials, and information. This study examined young Australian children's technological experiences prior to beginning school in order to build on their learning base in curriculum planning. The purposes of the research were to: (1)…

This document discusses research and thinking about several countries' experiences in providing early childhood education and services, and additionally, describes current early childhood education in the Australian states and territories. Following the first chapter's brief provision of background information about preschool education in…