This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 49 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: reading instruction for elementary school children, the significance of the teacher or teacher aide in reading instruction, reading achievement, reading…

Noting that the approach to early childhood education of Reggio Emilia, Italy, has gained worldwide recognition as it challenges accepted approaches, this book reflects the impressions and experiences of the Reggio Emilia approach gained by a range of early childhood educators following a study visit to the region. The book focuses on key issues…

This collection of essays exemplifies the universal theme that competence in language is key to success in learning and in life. The research studies reported in the collection offer insights into the challenges of literacy learning in Asia: social, cultural, and linguistic factors that sometimes constrain the teacher's approach to instruction.…

Although developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) has gained widespread acceptance within early childhood education, it is not accepted by all. This study examined resistance to the DAP concept among: (1) Head Start and other early childhood teachers; (2) child caregivers; (3) African-American mothers; and (4) masters students in early childhood…

Children in kindergarten grade were studied comparing pupils who had previously attended preschool with those who had not. Reading (or reading readiness) and mathematics achievement, academic potential, social and emotional maturity, conformity to successful pupil behaviors, and adjustment to academic and social setting in the classroom were…

This study assessed one center's interpretation of child-centered instruction in terms of children's daily activities, social affiliation, and classroom behavior. Staff interviews and classroom observations indicated that children: (1) spent less time engaging in focused learning activities; (2) sustained attention on one activity for smaller…

Different measures of symptoms and functional impairments were obtained on 285 Head Start children to identify emotional/behavioral disorders. These included six instruments completed by teachers and two completed by parents. Identification of children considered at risk ranged from a low of 1% to a high of 34%. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

This article discusses results of two recent surveys in Taiwan. Survey results indicate 99 percent of preschool program directors (n=134) believe they cannot provide services to certain children because of inadequate qualified personnel or lack of appropriate facilities and parents (n=109) of young children with disabilities face many problems.…

A study examined whether a field placement in a preschool program enhanced preservice teachers' understanding of the emerging literacy process. The study was conducted in two preschool classrooms in an urban school district in central New Jersey during the spring semester of 1996. Subjects were 26 graduate and undergraduate preservice teachers who…

In a study of the attitudes of early childhood professionals, 63 preschool teachers of children ages 3 through 5 and 20 preschool center directors in Naperville, Illinois were surveyed. Statements in the survey were developed using the guidelines from the National Association for the Education of Young Children concerning developmentally…

This study examined the perceptions of teachers experienced in working with mixed-age groups in child care settings for children from birth through age 12. A mixed-age group was defined as one with children having at least a two-year range in age. Questionnaires were mailed to 92 licensed family child care and school-age child care providers in…

Before 1970, no mixed-age groups existed in Swedish nursery schools. By 1991, 43 percent of children enrolled in nursery school were in mixed-age groups of ages 1 to 6 years, and 37 percent were in groups of children ages 3 to 6 years. Mixed-age groups are assumed to have advantages, including positive influences on learning and social…

The Finnish family and day care, the child behavior and growth environment, and the development of day care are discussed in this paper. The Finnish family and day care is discussed in relation to policies regarding the Finnish family, the Finnish day care system, the basis of Finnish day care education, and ecological views in day care education.…

The validity of Bilingual Education in a multi-cultural preschool setting is examined and supported. Further, a discussion of how mental health may be linked to the recognition of a child's native language, in his aquisition of a positive self-concept, is delineated. Additionally, theoretical information is supported by a survey completed in 1976,…

AN OVERALL SURVEY AND ANALYSIS OF THE SUMMER 1965 PROJECT HEAD START IS PRESENTED IN THIS REPORT. THE FIRST SECTION DISCUSSES THE INCEPTION, IMPLEMENTATION, AND FORMAL ORGANIZATION OF THE PROJECT. THE SECOND SECTION PRESENTS DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE COMMUNITIES, CHILDREN, PARENTS, STAFF, AND WORKERS INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT. THE THIRD SECTION…