This paper reports stage 3 of a research project conducted in 40 preschools in Victoria, Australia. During the first stage of this project, preschool teachers were asked about their concerns relating to young children's literacy development. Their responses revealed little access to recent thinking concerning emergent literacy, either through…

The fundamental task in revitalizing public education and in fostering teacher professionalism means modifying the basic mandate. Trends in preschool and adult education suggest a need to extend the traditional age range downwards as well as upwards, thus lessening worry about teacher lay-off, half-empty school buildings, and school closures. (BRR)

A Netherlands survey of 216 parents and 135 head teachers of children (ages 4-13) with Down's Syndrome, attending regular schools, examined how parents apply for regular education placement, characteristics of these parents, decision-making procedures used for student placement, and differences between schools that offer placements for children…

Surveyed preschool administrators, teachers, and parents from four countries about what constitutes developmentally appropriate preschool practice. Found that respondents from Finland scored high on all survey items. Administrators and teachers from the United States scored higher than U.S. parents, who preferred a more formal, academic approach.…

Speech-language pathologists (N=21) and teachers (N=54) were surveyed regarding their perceptions of classroom-based interventions. The two groups agreed about the primary advantages and disadvantages of most interventions, the primary areas of difference being classroom management and ease of data collection. Other findings indicated few…

Studied teachers' perceived control over child behavior among Swedish preschool teachers working in school preparatory classrooms. Found that a high proportion of children with externalizing problems and a high proportion of boys in the classroom were the most salient aspects for teachers' perceived control. The importance of teachers' perceived…

A study involving teachers of eight children with severe autism found they interpreted many gestures, body movements, and facial expressions as if these were forms of communication. Observation data indicate some of the communicative forms identified by the teachers were associated with the communicative functions that they specified. (Contains…

Successful implementation of mainstreaming special needs preschool children requires a comprehensive and meaningful planning stage. An approach is described which emphasizes breaking down negative attitudes of parents and teachers, and uses reverse mainstreaming in which children from regular classrooms visit the classes of handicapped children…

Describes a study of 154 female teachers' perceptions of children's behavior problems in nursery classes in Greece. The overall prevalence rate identified by teachers for all behavior problems was 14.3%. Children's gender, age, and academic achievement, and teachers' teaching experience were found to be significant factors in the study, but the…

Observations and interviews of five groups of children and staff at different day-care centers found that circle time is both a ritual and a meeting. For staff, circle time allowed for structuring of activities and a sense of accomplishment. For the children, circles were both a positive, affirmatory experience and a restraint, wherein discipline…

Describes a study of parents' and preschool staff members' views on preschool education in Warwickshire, England; St. Louis County, Minnesota; and Kronobergs Lan in Smaland, Sweden. Compares general attitudes; parental involvement; and importance attributed to various instructional materials and activities, and to caregivers' interaction with…

Survey responses of 55 public school early childhood education teachers provided information about teachers' perspectives on child rearing, parents' child-rearing capabilities, the mission of schools, teachers' roles, and constraints to effective family-school connections. Differences between teachers' views and the basic tenets of current…

Discusses how early childhood teachers can become more comfortable with young children's questions about sexual orientation and social conventions. Summarizes research findings about children's developing sexuality, and describes how teachers can respond when issues of children's developing sexuality arise in classrooms. Suggests appropriate ways…

Identifies the music skills and understanding taught during preservice training that in-service preschool classroom teachers perceived as practical and beneficial. Demonstrates that skills and understanding considered most useful provide students with direct music experiences; skills traditionally taught in music theory and history were not…

A study involving 40 typical preschoolers and their mothers found they talked more about children with physical disabilities than those with Down syndrome during a storytelling task, and that children's comments about children with physical disabilities were positively related to teachers' ratings of children's interactions with classmates with…