The first eight years of life, beginning before birth and continuing through third grade, are a critical developmental period that sets the stage for future success. Research over the past 15 years has demonstrated the importance of high-quality care and education throughout the prenatal-through-third-grade (P-3) continuum, including prenatal and…

Reports on a cross-cultural study of expectations about developmental timetables for young children held by infant and preprimary teachers in Amherst, Massachusetts, and Pistoia, Italy. Findings indicate that teachers' expectations are influenced by culture, as well as child development training and experience with children. (BB)

The Brookline Early Education Project (BEEP) has been initiated by the Public Schools of Brookline, Massachusetts to help parents provide an optimum learning environment for their children throughout the preschool years. Enrollment in BEEP begins at birth and the project provides educational and diagnostic services, including pediatric care. Each…

This speech reports on data collected by the Early Intervention Collaborative Study (EICS), which is a longitudinal study following the development of 190 young children with disabilities (and their families) who entered 29 publicly funded early intervention programs in Massachusetts and New Hampshire in the period from 1985 to 1987. The…