Reviews research on the development of children's awareness and feelings related to race and class. Suggests that children's perceptions of themselves and others depends on their majority or minority status in their community and on the quality of contacts they have with other racial groups. Proposes teaching practices that can raise awareness and…

Engagement and integration increase when children have an opportunity to investigate something of great interest to them and have a say in what they learn about the topic. Helm explains how to use webs to introduce required concepts and skills and integrate standards in the project approach. She walks readers through five steps to making an…

Providing children with a variety of play materials at different levels of challenge and in a variety of interest areas responds to children's individual differences and needs in the classroom. In this book excerpt, the author lists materials for play in the categories social and fantasy; exploration and mastery; music, art, and movement; and…

Provides a framework for understanding the value of water play for preschoolers and offers suggestions (materials and activities) for incorporating it into a program. (Author/ED)

Authors explore some newly developed concepts about learning and discuss the influence of these concepts on current investigations of cognitive development in children. (HS)

Describes research on Piaget's theories on the importance of exploration, use of concrete objects, and self-directed learning for children. Relates the concepts of construction and instruction to educational models and teaching roles. (DR)

Suggests guidelines for art activities that are based on four major developmental characteristics of toddlers: the acquisition of new motor skills, the development of psychological autonomy, the broadening of social relations, and the achievement of symbolic communication. (Author/RH)

Relates a preschool teacher's personal experiences and feelings about professional growth and development. Discusses the concept of professionalism, experiences illustrating the process of becoming a professional, negative aspects of professionalism, and the realization of professionalism. (TJQ)

Early childhood educators should take advantage of attention on assessment to design appropriate systems. Proper assessments should enable more reflective teaching, honor children's full range of development, and provide safeguards to children from unnecessary assessment or misuse of assessment data. Issues include what standards to measure, what…

Looping--which is sometimes called multiyear teaching or multiyear placement--occurs when a teacher is promoted with her students to the next grade level with the same group of children for two or three years. What results is a continuity of relationship with their teacher that enables children to flourish. In this article, the authors discuss the…

Describes an initiative of the National Association for the Education of Young Children with the goals of helping early childhood professionals prevent child abuse and neglect and promote healthy social and emotional development. Highlights findings from the Phase 1 research project confirming that most educators are willing to participate more…

This article can help teachers and directors become eloquent and effective advocates of play-based early learning environments. It defines play and play policy and discusses distinct research areas that support play policy and practice for physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development within diverse early childhood settings. Also…

Discusses the way Piaget's theories operate in the classroom. (ED)

Cognitive and behavioral measures were administered to heterogeneous and homogeneous Mexican-American and Anglo groups at the beginning and end of the prekindergarten year. The results suggest that the learning environments of both homogeneous and heterogeneous groups have a facilitating influence. (SB)

Overviews characteristics of preoperational thought, summarizes Piaget's theory of the peroperational child's view of reality, explores implications of the preoperational stage of development for early childhood science education, and provides general guidelines for an early childhood science curriculum. (Author/RH)