Proposes criteria for defining and selecting preschool developmental screening instruments and describes the Early Screening Inventory (ESI), a developmental screening instrument designed to satisfy these criteria. Presents results of several studies demonstrating that the ESI predicts school performance with moderate to excellent accuracy through…

The concurrent validity and reliability of Kaufman's short-form version of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities were examined for a sample of 342 Mexican-American preschool and kindergarten age children. The results showed that generally the positive psychometric properties of the Kaufman short form were also noted for the children in this…

Investigated the extent to which the Wechsler and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI) provides items of sufficient difficulty for gifted children (N=306) aged four to six. All subtests investigated were found to have an inadequate level of difficulty, and six were inadequate for half or more of the subjects. (JAC)

A comparison was made between the Slosson Intelligence Test and the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities for 44 minority preschoolers. The mean Slosson score was 13.8 points higher than the mean McCarthy score. The correlation between the scores was .81. Effects of inflated Slosson scores for screening purposes are considered. (Author/RD)

To help physicians select appropriate screening tests for early childhood identification of developmental disabilities, 19 screening tests were administered by a pediatrician and rated by a panel of pediatricians and a special educator. Five of the tests were identified that approached standards for educational and psychological tests. (TJH)

Extra-year programs for children in kindergarten and first grade are not cost effective and have a tendency to keep children out of school. What does work is a developmentally appropriate curriculum for the primary grades that emphasizes integrated learning across the curriculum, small group instruction, and mixed-age grouping. (MLF)

The reasons for using tests in early childhood programs are (1) to increase teachers' confidence in their role performance; (2) to explain and defend early childhood programs; (3) to promote consistency across programs; (4) to provide curriculum and instruction guidance to teachers; and (5) to focus teachers and parents on the more measurable…

Through the combined efforts of the Hawaii Department of Health's Family Health Services and Mental Health Division, developmental and socioemotional screening services are being offered in approximately 115 preschool and day-care centers. This paper provides a general overview of the program and describes its various service delivery models.…

Although several vision screening techniques are available for infants, none is routinely used. Visual deficits are often first detected through required preschool vision screenings, which vary in their comprehensiveness. No standardization for testing or administration exists. Some of the testing procedures used may have inappropriately high…

Examined the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning (DIAL) with regard to its effectiveness in predicting school success as determined by subjects' (N=245) first-grade performance on the California Achievement Test (CAT). Found the DIAL concepts subtest to be the most valid single predictor. (Author/ABB)

The Social Observation for Mainstreamed Environments (SOME) checklist evaluates handicapped preschool children's social skills and readiness for mainstreamed environments. Checklist items represent social behaviors important to successful preschool integration, such as initiating interactions appropriately, obeying class rules, and respecting…

High quality preschool programs that bring long-term benefits for children can be achieved by cooperation with the community to determine what is appropriate for local children. Existing programs must be evaluated for information and to avoid similar problems and children's "burn out" from tightly structured approaches. (CJH)

An ecologically-based model is offered to guide the assessment activities of school psychologists at the preschool level. The uniqueness of the preschool population, the multidimensional structure of the assessment process, and the connection between assessment results and the intervention strategies are emphasized. (Author/LMO)

The last decade has seen an increase of interest in early identification of children with potential learning and behavior problems. In the present report, the purposes of early screening are delineated and selected arguments against preschool identification and intervention programs described. Arguments favoring the early screening of preschoolers…

The validity of using the Revised Denver Developmental Screening Test (RDDST) was investigated by testing 199 preschool children (ages 3-4) and reviewing the results 6 months later. Results indicated that the RDDST was an efficient prognostic tool in predicting formal assessment results for children at risk for language impairments. (CR)