The role of the specialist in English as a Second Language (ESL) in sensitizing colleagues, administrators and politicians to the mismatch of perceptions in the classroom and in helping establish and consolidate links with the minority communities is discussed. Seven factors said to contribute to the underachievement of children of Caribbean…

Uses data from pilot year of Pre-school Education Initiative in Scotland to look at the impact of government-introduced voucher system intended to expand preschool provision. Identifies four changes in provision and for the culture: playroom activities, expectations for purpose/outcomes of program, parental roles, and requirements for quality…

Examined links between theory-of-mind status among Singaporean and United Kingdom preschoolers and their social pretend play. Found that ratings by Singaporean and UK teachers yielded measures of facilitation, shared meaning, and thematic maintenance of interactive play. Rater nationality did not affect ranking patterns. Findings indicated a link…

Details the second part of a three-phase study that examined the language and actions children use when being sociable and cooperative with peers through the Social Play Continuum analysis tool. Concludes that the Continuum may be a potential tool for observing, better understanding, and more appropriately intervening in children's play for the…

The publication and subsequent distribution and dissemination of "Birth to Three Matters, A Framework to Support Children in their Earliest Years" (DfES, 2002) marks a significant breakthrough in government recognition of the importance of the years from birth to three in shaping children's later learning. However, the Curriculum…

This collaborative action research project focused on the educational practice of a voluntary sector playgroup (preschool) in the United Kingdom. It utilized the Quality Evaluation and Development (QED) model to conduct an evaluation phase, action plan phase, development phase, and a reflection phase over the course of the 1994-95 school year. The…

This paper discusses the effects of nursery school assessment policy on collaboration among staff from different professional backgrounds and between staff and parents. The paper highlights this point by reporting the results of a survey of assessment practices in 30 nursery schools in the Strathclyde Region of Scotland. The issue of assessment…

A case study investigated how best to support a 4-year-old with Down syndrome in numeracy instruction. The student demonstrated less inappropriate behavior in a whole class setting, in comparison to individual and group settings. However, he was more successful in his independent attempts at tasks in individual and group settings. (Contains…

The Youth Sport Trust developed a package of activities to support the teaching of outdoor and adventurous activities, integrated into the British national curriculum through physical education programs for preschool through secondary school age. Activity categories are physical challenges, trails, and orienteering. Teaching resources and their…

Compares preschool/kindergarten education in Malaysia and the United Kingdom, including curriculum and teacher training. Describes the Malaysian national preschool curriculum guidelines as using play as a vehicle for learning while incorporating a more formal reading and writing readiness program. Describes experiences in a teaching course for…

From preschool to tertiary level, the past decade has witnessed a growing impetus for the inclusion of children with special needs and disabilities in mainstream education. Yet evidence on the needs of children with visual impairments (VI) remains scant. This paper seeks to inform the debate by presenting findings from research designed to explore…

Held in London in 1980, a series of three seminars entitled "Training for Work with Under Fives" was organized, followed in l981 by a conference on the same topic. The object of these meetings was to obtain information about and to examine issues relating to the various teacher training courses in existence. Seminars dealt with major…

This manual is designed to provide parents, teachers, and health professionals with information on dyspraxia to enable diagnosis and treatment, and offers an intervention program to improve the cognitive functioning of students with dyspraxia. Dyspraxia is defined as a marked impairment in the development of motor coordination that may result in…

Applications of the Portage Home Teaching Model to home and school programs in Great Britain are described. Portage teaching technology, stressing long and short term teaching objectives and the service model linking home and school, have been applied and expanded to such areas as noneducational problems and children with profound handicaps. (DB)

Compared the quality of experience for children attending part-time nursery at different times of the day, focusing particularly on storytime. Findings suggest the two sessions are not of equal value to the children, that children may not be performing as well in the afternoon, and that traditional group storytime may not be as effective for the…