This article describes a means of evaluating early years classrooms from the perspective of the child's experience. Nine key themes, such as motivation and independence, are identified as representing significant aspects of a high-quality environment for learning. The manner in which these manifest themselves in relation to the three elements of…

A total of 577 annotated citations of materials concerning preschool education and related topics are provided in this selective bibliography of the 1988 literature from Austria, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Canada, France, Sweden, Hungary, Germany, Bulgaria, Poland, and Switzerland. Sections of the bibliography provide references to materials on: (1)…

This report is an assessment of the overall effectiveness of the Project Head Start Training and Technical Assistance Program (T/TA) in achieving Head Start objectives and improving program quality. Analysis in the report focuses on the overall management process, delivery system, quality of training and technical assistance provided, and its…

Early childhood education is the topic of this chapter from "Six Crucial Issues in Education." The Foreword and introduction to the book are provided. The following areas are discussed in this chapter: (1) Research--Bloom, Hunt's "Intelligence and Experience," Piaget; (2) Head Start and Other Compensatory Programs; (3) Public…

The Alaska Model for Early Childhood Education is an attempt to bring major ideas into focus for neighborhood programs. Suggested specifications for staff, facilities, equipment, activities, and parent involvement are presented. Sections deal with: (1) needs, objectives and activities; (2) child development activities and environments--physical…

This guide was developed by the New Jersey Department of Education to assist adults working with young children in providing high quality education experiences. Articulating the optimal relationships between and among families, the community, and schools, the guide describes developmentally appropriate teaching practices; identifies expected…

In Arizona and around the country, there is an increased focus on ensuring that children start school ready to learn. Noting that the best way to know if Arizona's children are starting school ready to learn is to track their progress, this booklet details indicators or benchmarks in five categories used to measure the state's progress in school…

This booklet is designed to offer preschool staff who are working with children with special needs a process for supporting children and families through the transition to kindergarten. It begins by discussing the teachers role as a partner to parents of children with disabilities. A timeline is then presented for planning a child's transition to…

Despite having a genuine concern about racism and oppression, many early childhood teachers encounter significant feelings of discomfort as they try to implement antibias values in their classrooms. Based on the view that it is not possible to authentically teach children about acceptance without engaging in reflection upon one's own values and…

This policy paper focuses on what emerging research tells policymakers about why it is so important to intervene to help young children at risk for poor social, emotional, and behavioral development, and what kinds of research-based interventions seem most effective. The paper addresses the relationship between early academic learning and…

This monograph reports on Phase 2 of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement Preprimary Project, focusing on the quality of life experienced by four-year-olds in major early childhood settings. This monograph highlights results from a questionnaire completed by over 1,600 teachers and over 4,800 parents in 15…

This training package helps Florida educators working with substance-exposed children in day care programs and prekindergarten, kindergarten, and elementary school classrooms. The workbook was developed to be used within a 1- or 2-day training session facilitated by trainers or as a self-instruction learning tool used in conjunction with a…

This study investigated teacher, district and site administrators' perceptions of school violence and violence prevention programs in 15 school districts of various sizes at all educational levels in 12 states representing all geographical regions of the United States. A 162-item survey was administered to 202 teachers, 59 building administrators,…

"Scripts" are ways of describing the knowledge a person must have in order to understand the appropriate response in a given situation. In this document, literature on the ways in which children acquire scripts for social behavior through interaction with others is reviewed, and some departures from script theory are discussed. It is…

This practicum project sought to facilitate change in preschool teacher classroom behavior from teacher-directed practice to child-initiated practice. The goals of the practicum focused on changes that would foster child-initiated activities in order to promote healthy and holistic development, positive self-esteem, and resiliency skills in young…