Approximately 228,000 children from birth to age 3 are affected by a disability. Developmental challenges may include severe, chronic disabilities that can begin at birth and last a lifetime. Delayed speech and language are the most common types of developmental delays among infants and toddlers. Many of these children are at risk for later…

Children move the instant they are born and the moment they wake up every morning. Moving is one of the first and most important ways infants and toddlers explore and learn about the world, and this process continues as they grow and develop. Research shows that movement and exercise can spark the growth of new brain cells and facilitate learning…

Math and science and the related technology and engineering are natural pairings. These four disciplines form the acronym STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and can be readily combined into an integrated curriculum for early childhood classrooms. Many educators believe that children learn best when disciplines are interconnected. An…

Families may learn their child has a disability during pregnancy, at birth, or even later, when their child enters a child care program in a home or classroom setting. Although a family's reaction to the news that their child has a special need may depend upon the child's age, the severity of the disability, and the family's cultural view of…

The authors describe a teaching strategy that can support the development and learning of all children in inclusive learning environments. They give an overview of peer-mediated intervention and share useful information on how classroom teachers can use this tool to promote learning, particularly in the areas of social and communication…

The authors discuss why challenging behavior tends to occur during transitions. They offer strategies for planning and implementing more effective transitions, ideas for using transitions to teach social skills and emotional competencies, and a planning process for working individually with children who continue to have difficulty during…

In the journal section Improving the Lives of Children: Three Programs from around the World, this article about childminding-known as family child care in the U.S.-discusses advances in the training and professionalism of home-based child care providers in Britain. The author explains childminding networks, and looks at the contributions of…

Staff at the Frank Porter Graham (FPG) Child Care Program developed the zone model of playground supervision (ZoMPS) to ensure a safe environment for outdoor play and enhance playground time for all children. In addition to the social and free-play elements of outdoor play, they wanted to provide activities that support learning and development.…

Guided reading can change attitudes toward disabilities and exceptionalities. This article describes 10 children's books in which people with disabilities are portrayed in a respectful yet realistic manner: the first two inform about a disability; the remaining eight are examples of inclusionary literature in which a person with a disability is…

Outlines a series of six imperatives designed to provide educators and other child advocates with a backdrop against which they may implement strategies for serving handicapped young children. (MP)

Notes the difficulty of finding quality day care for special needs children. Discusses Project Specialcare, designed to support family child-care providers who accept such children into their programs. Describes how providers participated in Saturday sessions focused on a topic followed by open discussion and how the advice and counsel of a…

Describes role of early childhood education (ECE) administrator as a protagonist for inclusion of children with disabilities. Suggests this role entails laying foundation for inclusion through articulating program philosophy, choosing the curriculum model, identifying appropriate instructional strategies, and arranging the environment.…

Reviews the status of present and proposed dependent care tax credit legislation and considers the special needs of families supporting vulnerable dependents. (RH)

Points out positive aspects of mainstreaming for both hadicapped and nonhandicapped children. Indicates specific teaching approaches appropriate for children with special needs such as language/speech disability, and mental, hearing, visual and physical impairments. Provides 10 guidelines for teaching in the mainstreamed classroom. (Author/RH)

Enumerates negative emotions that early childhood teachers may feel when first encountering the handicapped child and suggests ways to overcome these feelings. (KS)