The mission of the National Council on Vocational Education (NCVE), a presidential advisory council consisting of representatives of business, industry, and education, is to ensure the development of a first-class American work force. As part of this mission, the NCVE held a series of meetings with representatives of various industries to solicit…

Illiteracy is intergenerational and is correlated with poverty. Especially significant is the effect of the mother's education level on children's academic achievement. A number of recent initiatives are emphasizing the role of parents as reading boosters. However, this approach fuels the debate between those who view literacy as skill development…

This collection of articles evolved from papers presented and issues discussed at a workshop entitled "The Health Care/Education Relationship: Services for Infants with Special Needs and Their Families," held in March, 1981, for members of the Handicapped Children's Early Education Program (HCEEP) network. During that workshop, staff…

This discussion examines trends in American society and family life in the context of early education and alternative child care programs of the future. It is suggested that social problems arise when some aspects of society change while other intimately related aspects lag behind, especially when the lagging circumstances are improving but not…

The eight essays in this volume were written in response to a request for critical comments on early childhood policies and on particularly controversial subjects. The essays cover eight topics: (1) day care problems, including short- and long-term effects on children of different ages, policy questions, developmental issues, and evaluation…

This book represents a synthesis of current knowledge about the physical, cognitive and social development of young children who live in the developing countries of Africa, Asia, Latin-America, and Oceania. The book develops five major themes: (1) It views child development in a comparative fashion, examining universal sequences in development as…

Over the last generation, parents have felt more and more intimidated by child care "experts" and have increasingly surrendered their role as the primary educators of their children. On the premise that theories of development, often colored by ideological positions on the family and its function in society, should take a back seat to…

This document presents an action plan developed by the Minnesota Early Care and Education Finance Commission during two years of study and deliberation to finance a state early care and education system that supports families and is focused on school readiness. Recommendations are presented in three categories: (1) more time and tools for better…

Noting that millions of young American children are at-risk because they have been denied bonding and communication with a caring adult, this book serves as a call for national attention and provides a guide for developing the parenting skills needed by today's parents and child caregivers. The book contends that caregivers' qualifications must…

Discusses five strategies that can enhance the communication among parents and early childhood educators: (1) Keep parents well informed about what is happening in the classroom; (2) help parents to introduce themselves in the classroom; (3) create dialog in newsletters and bulletins; (4) post questions rather than reports; and (5) disseminate…

Introduces this special issue focusing exclusively on care for children by family relations separate from their parents (kinship care). Addresses kinship care issues of policy, practice, caregiver support and advocacy, and research. Contains general definitions, program history and development, and descriptions of the care issues explored in the…

Discusses preschoolers' interest in and wonder about sexual anatomical differences, and adults' responses to their questions. Presents Freudian stages of psychosexual development, the relationship between sexual identity and gender role, children's preference for single-sex play groups, sex stereotyped toy preferences, and the role of television…

This paper describes the significant literary activities observed in the teaching of reading in an inner-London (England) primary school in a reception and year four class. Efforts at achieving a high level of literacy for all students are hampered by: (1) low parental literacy input and involvement in school; (2) continuous disruptive behavior…

A careful analysis by Zelnik and Kanter of the Department of Population Dynamics at Johns Hopkins disclosed that abortions, unwed teenage pregnancies, venereal diseases, and sexual promiscuity have all increased dramatically in spite of a massive public and private program of contraceptive indoctrination and dissemination. This increase is…

Studies of causal attributions among elementary school children and their mothers in Japan and in the United States indicate that the Japanese are more likely to cite effort as the primary cause of school achievement. In the United States, ability is more frequently selected as a key factor. The characteristics of Japanese mother-child interaction…