Summarizes results of a survey on an ethical dilemma about whether a teacher should meet the needs of a working mother or those of her four-year-old son in terms of naptime. Educator Lilian Katz and philosopher Kenneth Kipnis comment on the dilemma. (BB)

Elements of a successful Head Start program are described. These elements are provision of comprehensive services, parent involvement and family support, a commitment to meeting local needs, training and technical assistance support, and use of a collaborative approach. Anecdotes about two Head Start parents and a former Head Start participant are…

Presents one teacher's experience with a student with minimal cerebral palsy in an open classroom from kindergarten to the third grade. Addresses questions that arose concerning ways to help a child with special needs in the classroom. (BB)

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)

Discusses and illustrates the ways in which early childhood teachers can teach preschoolers about peace. Teachers can implement two simple rules: "Don't hurt anyone," and "Use words to settle problems." Explains how these rules would be implemented in particular preschool situations. (BB)

Describes a pilot program designed to strengthen children's transition from preschool programs to kindergarten. Discusses three major components: kindergarten registration drive for parents; a series of parent information nights; and kindergarten school visits over the course of the school year. Offers sample format for an hour-long kindergarten…

Presents suggestions for successfully including young children with "new" life-threatening, chronic illnesses -- various types of cancer, heart, liver, and kidney diseases -- in early childhood education classes. (BB)

Presents a summary of readers' responses to a survey on recurring ethical dilemmas in early childhood education: the dilemma concerns divorced parents and what early childhood educators can do that is most beneficial to the child when the noncustodial parent (mother) requests confidential information about the child and its father. (BB)

Presents a hypothetical dilemma illustrating the need for parent empowerment in early childhood education for use in applying the National Association for the Education of Young Children's Code of Ethics. Considers including parents in important decisions, honoring responsibilities to parents, and implementing the spirit of the code. Discusses…

Discusses the need for early childhood programs to develop strong partnerships with families in order to support each parent's role as his or her child's primary educator and to provide a foundation for ongoing family involvement. Outlines the steps for establishing high-quality parent involvement programs and offers examples of how parents can…

Presents an ecologically based training model to guide parents and teachers in reflecting on family involvement in early childhood programs. The two-phase process involves developing a philosophy of family involvement through brainstorming, identifying family involvement themes, and creating a philosophical statement, and examining roles shared by…

Describes the ensuing conflict when the book "Daddy's Roommate" was included as part of the preschool anti-bias curriculum. Discusses parent boycott, letters to parents, board discussions, and formation of a committee to propose solutions. Describes the voting plan based on position statements on both sides of the issue and how creating…

Discusses how one preschool boy with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) learned to compensate for his disability and to change his behavior after being integrated into a family day care setting which facilitated parent-provider teamwork. (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…

Uses stories of families in one early childhood program to illustrate educators' challenges to communicate with families whose backgrounds are different from theirs, including low income families. Identifies strategies for supporting and involving families, including using empathy and patience to forge relationships, linking families with needed…