This practicum identified the problem of inconsistent use of developmentally appropriate practices by staff in an early childhood center and implemented an inservice program to increase the use of activities based on individual appropriateness rather than on age alone. The solution strategy utilized a self-assessment survey of classroom practices…

This collection of articles is compiled to offer parents and teachers guidelines to help navigate between a child's intentions and his or her behavior. The book consists of 43 brief chapters divided into 9 sections. Articles in section one, "Guiding Young Children's Behavior," address issues of discipline, setting limits, effective…

Reviewing papers on a wide range of issues, this bibliography contains annotations for 794 articles excerpted from 86 journals published in Czechoslovakia, socialist countries, and capitalist countries. Following a brief explanation of future changes planned for the publication, Part I groups articles under the headings (1) Social and Ideological…

The Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) is an ongoing, national, longitudinal study of the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development of Head Start children; the characteristics, well-being, and accomplishments of families; the observed quality of Head Start classrooms; and the characteristics and opinions of Head…

The authors describe a zone defense schedule (ZDS), a system for organizing the staff and environment of a preschool classroom. Specifically, it is used to organize the roles of adults in the classroom so that transitions between activities are easier for children and provides greater opportunity for teaching (both during the transition and…

This report on European developments in infant and toddler care services was prepared to help define issues and options for the improvement and expansion of infant and toddler care and family support systems in the United States. Introductory comments suggest that advanced industrialized countries have almost unanimously elected universal but…

The preschools operated by the municipality of Reggio Emilia in Emilia Romagna, Italy, have drawn the attention of early childhood educators worldwide. This paper describes five features of these preschools. First, the educational philosophy of the schools is influenced by the high value accorded to cooperation in nothern Italian culture; Bruner's…

Through the 2002 Early Childhood Education Initiative, Shouguang City in the Shandong province of China expanded its early childhood education program to include children below the age of three. The strategies which were applied to ensure the successful implementation of the program included: (1) creating a three-tiered professional development…

The Preschool Rating Scale (PRS) consists of twenty Guttman scaled items which assess a preschool child's personal-social development. Experience gained over the past two years indicate that it can be used: (1) for screening; (2) for program evaluation; (3) as a guide to the teachers in identifying specific areas of development which may need…

This guide details the 2003-2004 program guidelines for Georgia prekindergarten programs, designed to assist educators in providing a quality educational prekindergarten program to eligible 4-year-olds and their families. Guidelines are delineated in six major areas: (1) operation and services, including eligibility, enrollment, instructional…

The primary goal of this practicum was to improve the mathematical thinking skills of preschool students in a class of 30. The practicum was also intended to help the teacher improve her skills as organizer and facilitator. Additional objectives were that: (1) students would score at least 50 percent on teacher-made tasks; (2) there would be no…

For many Head Start teachers and staff, the word "science" conjures up uncomfortable feelings and memories. The purpose of this project--a collaborative effort of California State University, Long Beach and the Head Start Program of Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD)--was to prepare Head Start staff to become more capable,…

Presently, there are two components to preschool teacher education in New Jersey: (1) Teacher preparation, which includes a course of study leading to a formal degree or certificate. Teacher preparation is provided through the state's 2- and 4-year institutions of higher education; and (2) Professional development, which supports individuals…

Noting that many early childhood practitioners have difficulty understanding and articulating how developmentally appropriate practices in their programs contribute to students' kindergarten readiness, this report details the implementation and evaluation of practicum experiences designed to improve preschool teachers' developmentally appropriate…

This report summarizes findings from the first year of an implementation study of the Early Childhood Cluster Initiative (ECCI). ECCI is a prekindergarten program in ten elementary schools and a community child care center in Palm Beach County, based on the design of the High/Scope Perry Preschool model. The initiative is characterized by low…