This paper describes a supported transition plan for preschool students with special needs who are entering a kindergarten classroom. The transition plan includes the following phases: (1) make decision regarding kindergarten placement; (2) develop a preplacement plan which includes a visitation to the preschool program by kindergarten staff; and…

Numerous physical, mental, and behavioral activities that parents and their 3- to 5-year-old children can enjoy together are suggested in this activity guidebook. The guide suggests ways parents can give their children a good start at developing the abilities and ideas that are fundamental to all future learning at home before the children begin…

Almost all preschool screening programs depend entirely on information and observations obtained during a brief evaluative session with the child. However, the logistics involved in managing large numbers of parents and children, the use of volunteers having varying degrees of sophistication or competency in assessment, the reliability and…

An evaluation of the School Readiness Program is presented in detail. Each of four objectives is examined: (1) To provide effective teaching-learning settings; (2) To determine and alleviate health problems; (3) To develop language skills; and (4) To develop Spanish language skills for children in bilingual centers. The accomplishments of the…

Brief annotations of currently available general school readiness measures are presented. The annotation provides information concerning the purpose of the test; the groups for which it is intended; test subdivisions or tested skills, behaviors, or competencies; administration; scoring; interpretation; and standardization. An alphabetical listing…

A scale to identify important behaviors in preschool children was developed, and ratings were related to more traditional indices of development and academic readiness. Teacher interviews were used to identify 62 specific behaviors related to maximally adapted and maximally maladapted kindergarten children. These were incorporated into a…

Analyzes the uses and abuses of the Gesell School Readiness Screening Tests and similar tests. First, discusses developmental screening and readiness tests, then focuses on the Gesell tests, specifically addressing their validity and questioning their current uses. Discusses implications of using readiness tests for assigning children to…

Readiness skills measured effects of no treatment, home based programs, formal preschool programs, and a combination of the latter two on 90 incoming kindergarteners. Conclusions indicate cooperative home/school bonds are important for improving preschool readiness skills and home based programs can provide important developmental experiences in…

The Michigan School Readiness Program (MSRP), a state-initiated and state-funded preschool program, serves more than 20,000 four-year-olds identified as being at risk for school failure each year. A longitudinal evaluation followed 2 cohorts selected from 7 sites from kindergarten through Grade 3 for Cohort 1 and through Grade 2 for Cohort 2. Each…

Parents and policymakers are turning to preschools to better advance the school readiness and broader development of young children. Much remains unknown, including how preschool programs of varying quality affect diverse groups of children. This is particularly important as several California counties embark on ambitious and costly efforts to…

Recognizing the valuable early learning experiences that children encounter at home or in various preschool settings, this guide presents a curriculum framework for children aged 3 to 5 years in Scottish early years settings. The guide extends the advice offered in "A Curriculum Framework for Children in Their Pre-School Year" and…

The conversion of an "old school bus" in the late 1960s into a mobile library is discussed. The conversion was an element of educational service developed cooperatively between a regional educational laboratory and a rural school system. The project endeavored to improve the early experiences of future students, many of whom would have…

Examined associations between income-to-needs change and child outcomes at 36 months for NICHD Study of Early Child Care participants. Found that for children in poverty, income-to-needs decreases related to worse outcomes and increases related to better outcomes. When income-to-needs increases were at least one standard deviation above mean…

A successful transition from home or preschool to kindergarten is a key component of school readiness. Yet, quite often this major step in a child's life is neither planned nor well coordinated. Thoughtful planning for this transition, however, can have a positive impact on children, families, teachers, schools, and communities that last well…

The Pre-Elementary Education Longitudinal Study, commonly referred to as the PEELS study, is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER). It will follow a nationally representative sample of children with disabilities ages 3-5 for a period of six years. This study is designed to describe the…