The United States is as known for its high-quality universities as for its poor-quality public schools. Many states are taking steps to improve the likelihood that their children will succeed in grades K-12 by providing funding for pre-kindergarten (PK). More than $2.4 billion dollars is spent on these programs, and the number of children…

Pistoia City, Italy, has an articulated and complex system of services and educational opportunities for young children. The major tenet underlying the system is the development of a "child-friendly" city project, an educational project rooted in community and giving children a sense of belonging, and promoting the identity of the…

Uses a post-test-only control group study to evaluate the effect of three different types of simulation games used to teach traffic safety to kindergarten students. Results suggest that games including role-playing/group dynamics and modeling/training can change attitudes and modify behavior with this age group. (FMW)

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to determine whether kindergarten children with specific language impairment (SLI) could develop phonological awareness skills through computer intervention and whether speech manipulation (i.e., slowing speech rate and enhancing transitions) in instruction produced additional learning. Method: The…

The project described in this paper investigated the needs and concerns identified by parents from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds as their children started school in Sydney, Australia. Six groups of parents from Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Samoan, Turkish and Vietnamese language backgrounds were interviewed about what was…

Noting that parents are children's most important teachers, this guide provides parents and children with weekly activities for all parts of the year that are intended to enhance children's eagerness to learn. The suggested activities, carefully chosen by Medina County, Ohio, kindergarten teachers, were designed to reinforce skills introduced in…

Young children's knowledge of race and ethnicity is conveyed in their own terms, and how this knowledge affects their social relationships and ideas about procreation is explored. Participant observation, informal conversations, and collecting children's artwork were used to build a picture of race through the eyes of the kindergarten child.…

This review chapter summarizes developments in early childhood care and education in New Zealand in 1991, focusing on government actions affecting the field. Initial discussion covers the revised guidelines for obtaining charters, or accreditation, for child care centers and service providers. It is maintained that these guidelines fail to address…

Very young Spanish-English bilingual children may not perceive sound-clue illustrations presented in the classroom as they are intended to be perceived. For example, when a child is told, "A is for apple," he may also interpret the message as "A is for manzana," confusing the intended message. While the teacher may hear English only, the child's…

This study investigated young children's development of understanding of two written genre registers, story and information books, by analyzing 5-year-olds' repeated pretend readings of a typical text of each genre. Ten female and 10 male kindergarten students were read 3 books in each genre during their kindergarten year. At each child's reading…

Young children are aware that color, language, gender, and physical ability are connected to privilege and power. Racism and sexism have a profound influence on children's developing sense of self and others. This book on the creation of anti-bias curriculum can be used to help young children develop anti-bias attitudes, learn to think critically,…

When kindergarten, second grade, fourth grade, and college students listened to stories and were asked to predict and explain the story character's behavioral or emotional reaction to a new event, the use of personality attributions to predict and explain future reactions increased with age. (RH)

Noting that Pennsylvania's current support of policies to promote school success for all children offers an opportunity to assess how well the state serves its children, identifies gaps in services, and enacts effective public policies to meet children's needs, this special Kids Count report describes effective practices to help Pennsylvania…

Based on the view that blocks are a tool that preschool teachers can use to teach all the skills and concepts necessary for children to be successful learners, this guide presents over 50 activities to enhance the preschool and kindergarten classroom's block corner. Chapter 1 of the guide illustrates the skills learned through block play in the…

Discusses the importance of using developmentally appropriate practices in early childhood classrooms, especially in teaching gifted students. Describes characteristics of young gifted children, emphasizing their advanced abilities in specific domains. Concludes that educators need to understand each child as a unique individual and should strive…