The close connection between the quality of provision for young children and professionalisation of the field has long been supported by international research. That the two are inseparable aspects of one picture is beginning to become accepted at European policy level, as evident in recent high level EU policy documents. This article explores the…

This paper seeks to explore issues of immigration and Otherness through a study of the first of Michael Bond's Paddington books. I will argue that this book and those which follow in the series, intended for a readership of young children, deal with the issue of immigration at a more subtle level than more recent books which are largely aimed at…

The process of interactive writing through dialog journals is discussed and a comparison of behaviors frequently observed in gifted individuals and characteristics of dialogue journal writing are offered. A case study of a gifted five-year-old communicating with her father is presented. (DB)

Recent conceptions of identity view people's identities as multiple and situated. The ways we see ourselves are filtered through the relationships we share with others, the knowledges and experiences we bring, and the contexts within which we live and learn. McCarthey and Moje (2002) explain that the identities we construct shape our literacy…

This article addresses the unique assessment needs of young blind children and discourages dependence on standardized tests for this population. Principles of one assessment approach (involving observation; clinical examination of mobility, language, play, socioemotional development, and academic skills; and interviews with mother and social…

This book relates several case studies of language acquisition--for example, chimpanzees "learning" to speak at a higher level than so-called 'wolf' children and a father and mother who, against the advice of professionals, force their way into the closed world of an autistic son--to examine the threshold of language, that point…

Describes a personal evolution into early childhood advocacy. The case study reaffirms that becoming an early childhood advocate requires individuals to care and to translate that care into actions which will help others to care. (RJC)

Examines early literacy development through the close study of one child's experience of producing her first story, composed and written down by herself alone. (TB)

Calls for reforms in instructional practices and curricula control in literacy programs that disenfranchise five- and six-year-olds who have already served for months or years as active members of the literacy club. Illustrated by one child's early literacy and kindergarten experiences. (BB)

The intricate quilt pattern of child language development can be pieced together from the numerous swatches of each child's language fabric which have been gathered by watching, looking, and listening when young children write. The necessity of watching, looking, and listening is demonstrated by the example of a preschooler's verbal protocol which…

Maintains that young children learn to think when they act on objects, thus developing what Piaget refers to as physical and logico-mathematical knowledge. Teachers can encourage thinking/mental action by creating situations that are personally meaningful to the children, by providing decision-making opportunities, and by providing opportunities…

This article describes common federal and nongovernmental funding sources that provide early intervention services to families with young children who are disadvantaged or disabled. Three case studies portray how funding streams can be translated into coordinated services for children and families. Specific strategies include better service…

Examines the types of questions that teachers and other adults use with young children. The impact of these questions on children's cognitive development is also considered. Suggests questioning strategies for early childhood teachers. (BB)

Hypothesizes that traumatization underlies the difficulties many children experience from witnessing their parents' marital violence/spousal abuse, and argues that intervention should be designed to counteract post-traumatic disorders. A case study highlights this discussion. (BB)

This article highlights the complexity of and critical need for service coordination for medically fragile infants and their families through an in-depth case study of a child and his family who "slipped through the cracks" of the system. The retrospective analysis describes problems and suggests alternative strategies for more effective…