When parents are involved in school, their children's achievement improves. Children make friends more easily and are more successful learners. Children whose families participate in school activities stay in school longer and take more advanced classes. But the greatest benefit to children of a successful home-school partnership is that children…

FirstSchool is a school reform approach to early schooling for children 3 to 8 years old. It was developed over the past five years through a collaborative partnership among families, schools, communities, and institutions of higher education. The approach responds to the needs of all young children--especially in African American or Latino…

Discusses death education and makes suggestions for the teacher's self-development and effective communication with children such as answering questions truthfully and not denying a child's perception or reaction to death, positive use of experiences and parent-teacher cooperation. (MS)

Explores the complexities of making teachers' work more visible to mothers of kindergartners, through focusing on one day's events as seen by their teacher and a university professor. Considers teachers' fear that parents will witness their mistakes and teachers' wish to maintain dominance over parents in the educational hierarchy. (KB)

Urges the preschool teacher to assume the role of mental health counselor by working closely with parents. Suggests ways to deal with normal childrearing situations and with crises involving death, illness or surgery, and separation or divorce. Briefly discusses the nursery school's handling of children with psychological problems. (BRT)

Reports on research which looked at how parents' and early childhood teachers' attitudes toward work and child care influenced their relationships with each other. (PCB)

Excerpts from interviews are frequently used in this discussion of teachers' reactions to children with gay or lesbian parents and administrators' efforts to ensure that such children are accepted in their schools. Offers possible teacher responses to questions of children with gay or lesbian parents. (BB)

Discusses how early childhood teachers can become more comfortable with young children's questions about sexual orientation and social conventions. Summarizes research findings about children's developing sexuality, and describes how teachers can respond when issues of children's developing sexuality arise in classrooms. Suggests appropriate ways…

Presents a teaching dilemma in which parents of a gifted child want a more teacher-directed, structured education for their child. Describes a fictional parent-teacher conference and raises questions about how the teacher, a believer in developmentally appropriate practice, should proceed, especially with regard to NAEYC's Code of Ethical Conduct.…

Describes early childhood teachers' responses to a hypothetical ethical dilemma that concerned a parent's possibly abusive behavior following a discussion of her child's behavior with the teacher. Discusses the use of the NAEYC code of ethics to resolve problems in everyday practice. (AA)

Discusses assumptions and pressures underlying academic redshirting for kindergartners. Examines teachers' and parents' beliefs about kindergarten readiness. Summarizes research on the effects of the academic and social domains of delaying children's entry into school. Offers suggestions for early childhood educators about how to help families in…

Maintains that early childhood teachers and administrators must address the possibility that the young children they serve will become gay or lesbian adults; work with gay and lesbian parents and colleagues with sensitivity; and work to relinquish any homophobia they might have. (BB)

Explores assumptions teachers make when planning parent involvement strategies and barriers to family involvement that result from these assumptions. Presents two tools designed to help teachers plan and carry out successful activities by identifying family-related factors that could limit or prevent family participation and making modifications…

Contends that educators and caregivers are still constrained in relationships with parents, respond with resentment and stonewalling when parents express uneasiness about pedagogical practices, and too frequently treat parents and children from other cultures differently. Suggests that true dialog may transform practitioners as educators, children…

Focuses on the transition of problem children from one child care center to another, when administrators determine that a program can no longer serve that child's needs. Describes four different cases to illustrate the range of behaviors associated with difficult children. Proposes strategies to accomplish successful transitions for these children…