"Let's Begin with the Letter People"[R] is an early education curriculum that uses 26 thematic units to develop children's language and early literacy skills. A major focus is phonological awareness, including rhyming, word play, alliteration, and segmentation. Children are encouraged to learn as individuals, in small groups, and in a…

The study examined the validity of the Child Observation Record (COR). Participants were 242 children, a stratified, random sample of a large, urban Head Start program. Teachers trained to collect COR data provided assessments on the Cognitive, Social Engagement, and Coordinated Movement dimensions of the COR. Outcome data included cognitive and…

This report summarizes research on the impacts of alternative early intervention programs to prevent school failure. Also considered are the magnitude of estimates of program effects and policy implications of using the programs. The nine principal types of early schooling programs reviewed are those involving: (1) substantial reductions in class…