In conjunction with Public Law 101-476, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Head Start programs are committed to including children with disabilities as 10 percent of their student population. This study sought to determine the effects of training on Head Start providers' attitudes toward children with disabilities and their knowledge…

This practicum addressed the problem faced by a child care center in dealing with parents from various ethnic backgrounds who possessed different views on toddler toilet training. The goal of the 10-week project was to establish an environment in the toddler program that allowed teachers and parents to approach toilet training cooperatively.…

This practicum was designed to provide speech and language therapy to children identified as speech and language impaired, in a Head Start classroom with typically developing peers. The practicum involved amending Head Start component plans, discussing inclusion issues at four education component meetings, conducting an interagency meeting with…

The first section of the document consists of a questionnaire/survey instrument completed by 80 teachers as part of a study designed to evaluate the quality and efficiency of early education programs serving handicapped children (ages 3-5) in Louisiana during 1985-86. Frequency distribution of responses are shown in the instrument. The second…

Thirty-two kindergarten children, nine parents, and two teachers participated in a study of classroom learning environments. Participants included lower and middle income White and Hispanic families; the children were enrolled in three schools in the southwestern United States. Both interviews and pictures of classroom learning events were used to…

Social class differences affect a student's academic achievement but do not particularly affect his intellectual potential. Adult judgement of intelligence is based upon observation of the student's behavior and his performance on standardized tests. This behavior is in turn affected by the student's motivation, background experience, and…

This document is an annotated bibliography of reports on problems in curriculum development. It includes the following reports: Summer Education for Children of Poverty; Arizona Research and Development Center Early Childhood Education; Head Start Planned Variation Study, 1970; Perry Preschool Project, Ypsilanti, Michigan, Preschool Program in…

Investigates the evaluation processes used in preschools, focusing on such issues as the extent to which (1) teachers use standards to support their evaluations; (2) whether standards teachers use are congruent with those that research and theory suggest would be used by preschool children; and (3) the extent to which teachers make causal…

Growing migration of diverse groups from urban to rural areas increases the chance that culturally and situationally based behaviors of relocated urban children will be misinterpreted. Culturally determined behaviors may be rejected or labeled as inappropriate in an Anglo-Saxon culture and environment, leading to mislabeling of minority group…

Drawing from several weeks of observation and study in Northern Italian preschools, this paper links practices in Reggio Emilia with the theoretical constructs of John Dewey, Susan Isaacs, and Howard Gardner. Part 1 presents background about the preschools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, which are unique both in their respect for the space created for…

Studied perceptions of early childhood teachers and employers regarding early childhood teacher education. Found that previous experience with, attitudes toward, and understanding of children and entry qualifications were weighted higher than age and gender for teacher selection. Lectures, group discussion, direct experience with children, and…

This study investigated sources of resistance to development of integrated preschool programs, expressed in interviews with 30 parents, teachers, and administrators and in observations of planning meetings. Findings suggest that perceived loss of political control over aspects of programs that have been informally negotiated among parents,…

This article reviews outcomes of inclusion at the preschool level, social integration patterns, placement, definition, quality, instruction, teacher and family attitudes, community participation, policy factors, and cultural influences. The concluding discussion addresses ongoing issues related to definition, quality, intensity and instruction,…

Caregivers must build a trusting, loving relationship before trying to toilet train any child. Before toilet training begins, myelinization, a neurological development necessary for controlling sphincter muscles, must be complete and toddlers must be able to sit easily for long periods. To help children recognize toilet needs, caregivers should…

This paper presents the results of a 3-year study that examined the efficacy of using the National Association for the Education of Young Children's (NAEYC) "Developmentally Appropriate Practices" (DAP) guidebook for assessment purposes. It surveyed 49 kindergarten and primary grade teachers and 123 graduate education students enrolled in early…