This pamphlet presents articles and papers which explore the role of a good kindergarten in the mental, physical and social development of the child. The importance of the preschool years, when the foundation of learning is laid, is emphasized throughout the publication. Individual articles by educators discuss a variety of topics, including early…

This book extends the discussion regarding effective early childhood teacher education in light of two contradictory public demands, day care and education. The sections of the book focus on what makes an effective beginning teacher, what is needed to move beyond initial competence, and what makes an effective early childhood teacher educator.…

A growing phenomenon in the United States is state-funded pre-kindergarten. This article deals with the status of pre-K programs in the United States. In this article, the authors discuss a major study of 240 state-funded pre-K programs in six states initiated by the National Center for Early Development and Learning (NCEDL) to provide a base of…

This paper considers the case of the Michigan Migrant Head Start program to describe and analyze the labor market conditions and teaching staff characteristics to identify the challenges faced by Migrant Head Start grantees in attracting, hiring, retaining, and training degreed teachers. The emphasis is on describing and analyzing the child care…

Literature related to eight major categories of variables affecting the experiences provided to children in preschools is reviewed in this paper. Categories initially discussed include contextual factors, characteristics of clients, characteristics of teachers and other assisting adults, and the preschool curriculum. A short discussion of the…

This final and inclusive report discusses the findings of a national survey of training programs which were intended to prepare Head Start classroom staff to meet the competency requirements of the Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential. Self-administered survey questionnaires for project managers, field supervisors, and trainees were…

Summary statistics and questionnaires are presented in this appendix to the Final Report of the National Survey of Head Start Supplementary Training/Child Development Associate (HSST/CDA) Competency Based Training Programs. (HSST/CDA training programs are intended to prepare Head Start classroom staff to meet the competency requirements of the CDA…

To identify parameters of teacher effectiveness, this study uses an ecological approach. Since setting, which includes not only physical surroundings but also the dynamic of activity, has a coercive effect on behavior, a teacher's ability to establish appropriate settings should be an accurate measure of effectiveness. Five head teachers in a…

The present article presents the results obtained from a research on Science Education ideas, practices, and needs of pre-primary teachers in Greece. A questionnaire was administrated to a sample of 130 pre-primary school teachers, and the data was analyzed through Multiple Correspondence Analysis. The results show that there are separate groups…

Baseline data were gathered from 316 students in 3-year training programs at 6 New Zealand colleges of education in order to determine why the students chose to go into early childhood education, what early childhood service they expected to work in, and where they would be employed after they completed their training. Of the students who…

Paper-pencil tests and classroom work-samples were used to evaluate the effectiveness of three learning units for teachers in early childhood education. Half of the sample had BA degrees or above, and half high school diplomas or less. Both methods assessed the same four competencies: quality of classroom arrangement, personalization of a…

Informed by current thinking and supported by data gathered in Singapore, this volume compiles a selection of papers presented at the First Singapore Conference on Preschool Education: Promoting Quality Care and Education for Preschoolers. The papers are: (1) "Introduction: Issues in Quality Provision for Preschool Care and Education"…

These papers reflect the impact that early childhood teachers have on their students when they "stand in front of the classroom" and the effect their performance and characteristics have on children. After "Introduction: Factors that Impact Teacher Quality" (Olivia N. Saracho and Bernard Spodek), 11 papers include: (1)…

In addition to the appropriate equipment and curriculum, a necessary ingredient of an effective preschool program is the quality of the interpersonal climate within the classroom. This interpersonal aspect of the preschool program is the focus of this paper. It begins by discussing the role of the early childhood educator in establishing the…

The state of Washington requires a master's degree for new teachers to receive continuing education certification and allocates substantial salary incentives for experienced teachers to complete master's degrees. This document reports on a study that focused on supply and demand issues related to graduate education for teachers in the state of…