Twelve investigators who had independently conducted experimental preschool studies pooled their research efforts and discovered that investment in preschool reduced the need for high-cost special education services and increased projected lifetime earnings for the children. (Author/MLF)

Safely driving a play vehicle requires many skills. This article offers several suggestions to parents on teaching preschoolers how to operate play vehicles safely and on pedestrian safety in general. A list of teaching aids for play vehicle safety, appropriate for parents and teachers, is included. (IAH)

Techniques which are designed to dispel fears and promote confident learning are offered to preschool swimming instructors. Safety, class organization, water games, and class activities are discussed. (IAH)

Outlines the components of a Montessori lesson plan. Includes discussion of the activity's purpose, prior experience, needed materials, points of interest, presentation, control of error, and variations or extensions of the activity. (KB)

This bulletin describes toys and games found to be appropriate for use with children with disabilities. The toys, made by Discovery Toys, include products that promote exploration, play with both hands, sorting and matching, self-awareness, coordination, cause-effect relationships, imagination, construction, language use, and interaction with…

Briefly described are suggestions to help special educators keep their level of stress manageable. Suggestions are extracted from "Stress and Burnout--A Primer for Special Education and Special Services Personnel" by Stan Shaw et al. To better organize their time and activities, educators are advised to set realistic and flexible…

The paper draws on the experiences of a mainstreamed early education program to consider ways that preschool programs can make themselves accessible to families with handicapped children. The importance of clearly stated program intent is stressed along with accurate staff perceptions of handicapping conditions. Ten steps are then offered: (1)…

Two assumptions underlying preschool programs for high risk students are examined: the belief that measurement instruments are available for diagnosing children who will eventually require some form of special education and that intervention will be beneficial to the child. Diagnosis favors teacher interaction with the student in an instructional…

To assess whether or not a child's development is going well, preschool teachers might ask the following questions: Does the child fall asleep easily and wake rested? Does the child eat with appetite? On the average, over a period of 3 or 4 weeks, does the child have bowel and bladder control? Does the child exhibit a range of emotions? Does the…

The teacher's guide outlines lessons from a correspondence learning program for parents of preschool deaf blind children. Learning steps and objectives are listed for eight areas covered by the program: communication, gross motor development, fine motor development, eating, sleeping, toilet training, dressing/undressing, and personal hygiene.…

One of 10 documents developed for preschool programs for handicapped children, the manual focuses on the use of parent volunteers (or paraprofessionals) in the classroom. The introduction examines the program's purpose and rationale, provides an overview of the parent volunteer system, and considers recommended setting, and the appropriateness of…

The paper maintains that impact evaluation studies of programs serving handicapped infants and preschoolers should be restricted to scientifically defendable investigations. Specific types of impact studies and an evaluation process are suggested. It is suggested that program leaders should focus evaluation activities on the status of project…

The need to teach precursors to literacy as part of preschool language therapy with language-disordered children is stressed. Assessment and intervention approaches include developing the child's ability to use language in instructional contexts and facilitating language awareness (such as word and phonological consciousness). (DB)

The article provides information concerning preschool gifted and talented children, including indicators of giftedness/talent, learning needs of gifted children, advantages/disadvantages of early intervention programs, availability of state funding to provide extra learning experiences, selection criteria for preschool programs, and sources of…

A sensitive understanding of gifted preschool children's social and emotional development can provide the foundation for fostering the development of social competence both informally, through classroom interactions, and formally, through structured group lessons. (Author/CL)