Children's development of attitudes about science begins early. However, little is known regarding how children feel about science in the preschool years. The lack of a psychologically sound instrument that can appropriately capture young children's attitude towards science is another challenge faced by early childhood science researchers. The…

This study examined the presence of specific story elements and story cohesiveness in child narratives. A sample of 35 Hawaiian children who attended a preschool that emphasized early literacy activities was compared with a control sample. Children first constructed a story from a set of five pictures with adult support, and then retold the story…

This report outlines the Pre-kindergarten Educational Program (PREP) of Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate in Hawaii, an integrated early education program serving families with children from the prenatal stage through age 5. The paper first discusses the program's three components and how they adapt to developmental changes in children and…

This study explored the impact of preschools with a language and literacy focus on the development of early literacy. The aims of the study were to: (1) compare the emergent literacy development of children who attended a preschool with a language and literacy focus with that of a comparable group of children who did not attend such a preschool;…

Kamehameha Schools' Prekindergarten Educational Program (PREP) was started in 1978 to prepare at-risk Hawaiian families and their children for success in school. PREP's direct services include: (1) parent-infant educational services, including home visits to help parents prepare for a new baby and later learn appropriate child development…

This paper discusses cognitive communicative training in preschool and reports on a study of 11 Hawaiian preschoolers that examined how these children interacted with others, used language, manipulated objects, and solved problems at home and at school. The study observed the children at school and at home over a 5-month period, collecting…

An observational study of peer dynamics found three very different systems of peer interaction among Hawaiian children at three preschools. The children were demographically similar: part-Hawaiians from lower to lower-middle class backgrounds. Sixty children were studied in videotaped sessions. In Preschool 1, children usually play as dyads; in…

Noting that many instructional routines discourage complex thought and language, a study examined how teachers and children used language in the first 3 weeks in 3 preschools. Specifically it explored how teachers talk to children, what teachers ask children to do with language, and what children say in school. The language features of…