This study explores how early childhood education programs engage immigrant families in their children's learning, how programs learn about these families and incorporate their cultures into the classrooms, and what programs are doing in terms of their staff's professional development related to working with immigrant children and families. The…

Throughout the course of life, all adults make transitions, so do young children. Because young children are more vulnerable in general and they have experienced far fewer transitions than adults, they often experience greater challenges. As a result, the field of early childhood education has historically expended much effort in understanding and…

Maintains that caregiver language provides significant insight into caregiving behavior in general. Responsive language, which encourages reason, logic, independence, and encouragement, is preferred over restrictive language, which is based on asserting power and control, discouraging independence, and lecturing. (MDM)

Examines state financial commitment to child care and early education. Indicates that levels of commitment vary widely, are inadequate to serve many children and families in need, and depend more on state "will" than on state resources. Points out that states give child care and early education a low priority. Suggests that increased…

Summarizes results of a survey distributed by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs to accredited early childhood programs. Survey questions concerned services provided by the programs, their funding sources, and the children served. (RJC)

In a study of what stimuli encourage use of oral language --storytelling--kindergarten to third grade children were asked to "tell a story" about a picture and about an eight-page wordless picture book. Children were also asked to make up an original story of their own. The opportunity to tell their own story elicited the most elaborated…

Surveyed programs for young children in six states to identify how they included fathers. Determined barriers to fathers' participation in such programs, including work schedules, sex differences in interactional styles, and power issues. Gleaned suggestions for facilitating fathers' participation in children's programs, including recognizing…

Examined quality of infant/toddler and preschool child care centers. Found that although overall program quality was mediocre at best, accredited programs scored better than nonaccredited programs. Preschool classrooms needed improvements in cultural awareness, child privacy, and furnishings for relaxation. For infant/toddler programs,…

This discussion of findings from the State Parental Leave Study of the Families and Work Institute identifies major issues in the debate over legislated parental leave. The effects of passage of state parental leave laws in Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin on employees who are parents, employers, and federal legislation are also…

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…

A survey of special education personnel, child care providers, and parents found that barriers to the mainstreaming of preschoolers with disabilities were attitudes concerning (1) "turf" issues for special educators; (2) teacher preparedness; (3) awareness issues; (4) issues of communication and collaboration; and (5) the possibility…

Discusses the effects of group size, staff-child ratios, and staff training and qualifications on the quality of child care. (BB)

Discusses the developmental process that allows children to use symbols to represent their experienced world and to construct imagined worlds. Emphasizes the critical role of art and play in children's growth as symbol makers. (BB)

Summarizes findings of the Television Violence Study indicating that the context of much television violence is dangerous to viewers, perpetrators go unpunished in the majority of programs, negative consequences of violence are often ignored, guns feature prominently, and presentation of violence differs greatly across networks and across…

A three-day experiment set up by an early childhood teacher explored Piaget's view that children younger than age eight lack ability to take another's point of view. The experiment focused on a bear, the class mascot, and observations of children's empathetic behavior toward its "injury." Age-related differences in the children's…