This paper uses a regression discontinuity model to examine the effects on kindergarten entrance assessments of the Kalamazoo County Ready 4s (KC Ready 4s) program, a half-day pre-K program for four-year-olds in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. The results are based on test scores and other characteristics of up to 220 children participating in KC…

Family members are a child's first and most important teachers. A growing body of research demonstrates that when families are actively engaged in their child's learning, children are better prepared for school and achieve at higher levels. Increased participation by families in pre-kindergarten programs has also been linked to greater academic…

In this article, the author presents a discussion regarding the sharing of decision making regarding curriculum in preschool. The preschool where she teaches is housed in a diverse, faith-based elementary school in the heart of Grand Rapids, Michigan, a midsize, midwestern city. It offers full-day, half-day, and two-and-a-half-hour preschool…

The momentum behind high-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten is growing dramatically across the country--in families, in communities, and in the halls of academia and government. Thanks to this strong wave of support, state spending on pre-k increased from $2.4 billion to $4.2 billion nationwide between 2002 and 2007. This investment is built upon…

A study of 45 preschools in Washtenaw County, Michigan was undertaken to examine integration of handicapped children in their programs. (BRT)

In December of 2006 and again in February of 2007, fifty Literacy Professors representing almost every college and university in Michigan met in a collegial forum to discuss and advocate for all students involved in reading instruction/education. This advocacy spans students from prekindergarten through college undergraduates and graduates. The…

This paper examines the effects of preschool expansion in Kalamazoo County on the county's economic development. Effects on the county's economic development are defined as effects on the employment and earnings of county residents. The estimated effects are found to be large relative to the costs. In addition to their relevance to Kalamazoo…

FORMS AND INSTRUMENTS USED IN THE PERRY PRESCHOOL PROJECT ARE PRESENTED. INCLUDED ARE A PRESCHOOL SCREENING FORM, A HOSPITAL RECORD SHEET, AN INVENTORY OF ATTITUDES ON FAMILY LIFE AND CHILDREN, A RATING SCALE OF STUDENT PROGRESS FOR THE FALL AND SPRING TERMS, A TEACHER RATING FORM, NEED-ACHIEVEMENT MEASURES, AND SPECIAL SERVICES FORMS INCLUDING A…

This legislative report presents the findings of a 1986 telephone survey of states that have enacted state-funded pre-kindergarten early childhood education programs. The survey was designed to collect data related to the legislative authority, intent, and oversight of the early childhood education programs and to gain information on the…

The Ypsilanti Curriculum Demonstration Project's language training curriculum for three- and four-year old disadvantaged children, using the Bereiter Engelmann program, is provided. The purpose of the curriculum is to effect a behavior change in the child to enable him to achieve in the traditional education environment. Emphasis is given to the…

"Childhood Programs and Practices in the First Decade of Life" presents research findings on the effects of early childhood programs and practices in the first decade of life and their implications for policy development and reform. Leading scholars in the multidisciplinary field of human development and in early childhood learning…

Studies indicate investments in social programs that raise a poor working mother's income may be especially beneficial to her children when they are of preschool age. Other studies show that high-quality preschool education interventions can have long-term beneficial impacts on school dropout, lifetime earnings and incarceration rates for…

A SCHOOL- AND HOME-BASED PRESCHOOL PROGRAM WAS INSTITUTED FOR CULTURALLY DEPRIVED, FUNCTIONALLY RETARDED, 3- AND 4-YEAR-OLD NEGRO CHILDREN TO PROVIDE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES AND TO ENABLE THE CHILDREN TO SUCCEED IN SCHOOL. A CHILD WAS CHOSEN FOR THE PROGRAM ACCORDING TO CERTAIN RATINGS OF HIS PARENTS' BACKGROUND, HIS OWN IQ, AND HIS ACHIEVEMENT.…

PART ONE OF THIS DOCUMENT IS A DESCRIPTION OF A PRESCHOOL CLASS FIELD TRIP TO AN APPLE ORCHARD. "VERBAL BOMBARDMENT" IS THE METHOD USED BY THE TEACHER ON THIS TRIP. THE TEACHER POSES QUESTIONS TO HER STUDENTS AND LETS THEM ANSWER. PART TWO IS AN ILLUSTRATION OF STRUCTURED GROUP TEACHING. NINE CONSECUTIVE LESSONS STATING THE PURPOSE,…

Surveyed parents of students who had attended the first early childhood classes in a Montessori school in Michigan 25 years earlier. Found that parents were enthusiastic about their children's abilities, with some attributing the grown child's success to Montessori education. Excerpts from written questionnaires of two former students highlight…