Garber and D. Hodge argue that preschool education should not be asked to inoculate children against school failure. It is enough that it supports the experience of learning. H. H. Spitz responds that Locurto has not gone far enough in his criticism, whereas C. Locurto defends his position. (SLD)

Criticizes Lawrence J. Schweinhart and David Weikart's article on early childhood development in this "Educational Leadership" issue for overemphasizing inadequacies of the direct academic approach. Claims that findings were based on insufficient data and disclosed no significant differences in self-esteem, locus of control, suspension,…

The Pre-School Stress Relief Project (PSSRP) is a primary mental health and substance abuse prevention project developed to provide training, consultation and educational resources in stress management. The Project's goal is to enable teachers to instruct high risk pre-schoolers in developing positive coping skills for stress reduction in their…

Defends the authors' conclusions in this "Educational Leadership" issue that the High/Scope preschool program produced teenagers with half the delinquency rate of those experiencing teacher-directed instruction. Counters Russell Gersten and W. White's claims of research bias, defending the study's use of appropriate blind data…

Argues that preschool intellectual enrichment is the key to closing the education achievement gap between children from minority and poor families and children from white middle-class families. Presents evidence that high quality child care contributes to school readiness. Discusses the emergence of education as one of the major issues in the 2000…

The effects of 2 preschool-based shared-reading interventions were evaluated with 95 children, ages 2- to 5-years, from low-income families. Language skills of the children were below age-level as measured by standardized tests. Children were pretested and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: (a) no-treatment control, (b) typical shared-reading…

Education programs for 4-year-olds may offer unique opportunities for the growth of services for young children. Currently, the role of state departments of education in preschool instruction is evolving; no single approach to public school programming for 4-year-olds exists. Approximately two-thirds of the 28 state and District of Columbia early…

This profile of counties in Oregon covers factors that may predispose youth to grow up at risk of dropping out of high school or not acquiring the skills needed for adult life. The profile presents data on human resources and educational and economic indicators that were collected from state agencies and organizations. For the state as a whole,…

Describes a successful, cost-effective program for at-risk preschoolers designed to improve youngsters' test scores and social habits and develop parents' skills. The Mascoutah, Illinois, program involves guided child observation by parents, individually designed home activities for kindergarten readiness, parent-child cooperation, and a high…

This paper describes long-term intellectual and academic outcomes of the Carolina Abecedarian Project, a study of the effects of intensive early intervention for children of poverty-level families. Participants in the program were 59 girls and 52 boys nominated by local social welfare departments and prenatal clinics. At or prior to birth,…

A Chapter 1 pre-kindergarten intervention summer school program of the Mesa Unified School District in Arizona was selected by the United States Department of Education as being unusually successful in meeting the special educational needs of disadvantaged children. Students determined to be at-risk are enrolled in the program, which takes place…

"The ERIC Review," announces research results, publications, and new programs relevant to each issue's theme topic. This issue exammines children's readiness to enter school, via two principal articles: "Readiness: Children and Their Schools," by Lilian G. Katz; and "Getting Ready for Readiness: A Case Study," by…

This article explores three broad themes about transitions that have emerged in a naturalistic study of experiences of families with young children with disabilities. Generalizations regarding early transitions include families going through a birth crisis have difficulty understanding all the information they are provided. Not only is their role…

Details five standards, from preschool through middle school, present in successful programs for students at risk of academic failure: joint productive activity, language and literacy across the curriculum, contextualization, challenging activities, and instructional conversation. Compares NAEYC's developmentally appropriate practices to the…

The Maryland State Department of Education undertook a longitudinal study of the Extended Elementary Education Prekindergarten Program (which covers prekindergarten through grade 3) in order to examine the school performance of program participants and a comparable nonpreschool group. The study: (1) investigated effects of prekindergarten on…