The author of this article asks: What is readiness for kindergarten? How do we know when a child is ready? Unfortunately, as with many topics in education reform and improvement, policy makers ignore the complex questions about readiness and instead focus narrowly on select variables. The focus for kindergarten readiness is on select literacy and…

This commentary manuscript, which was part of a larger research project, aimed to show how teachers can help preschoolers construct their knowledge of science and meet preschool science standards successfully in a Reggio Emilia approach. The demonstrations for preschool teachers are summarized as follows: be inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach;…

Examines the changes in perspective involved when early childhood teachers are promoted to administrators, focusing on leadership roles. Discusses stages of growth for administrators and the implications of these stages for effective leadership. (KB)

Most very young children seem to have a natural interest in books. As children grow, some maintain this disposition, learn to read early, and become lifelong lovers of books; however, some children lose the disposition or do not develop it at all, and they never experience the joy of the written word. This paper looks at the educator's role in…

Discusses the interpretive nature of Montessori education by characterizing the Montessori teacher as an observer of a living, growing, human design. Describes experiences working with Mother Isabel Eugenie in Philadelphia during the 1960s. (JPB)

Information about children's behavior in preschool and about the preschool program interests parents and provides them with useful information. Preschool teachers should make every effort to share their knowledge with parents whenever possible. How to communicate various types of information presents a major difficulty for teachers. Some…

Traces the changing views on the role and status of male early childhood education teachers in the forties and fifties (male prohibition), the sixties and early seventies (the macho image), and the late seventies and early eighties (the age of androgyny).

Discusses characteristics of professionalism and the professional. Considers early childhood education professionals' skills, attributes, and attitudes; their obligation to develop and articulate their knowledge base; and their obligation to advocate on behalf of children and their families. (BG)

Recent research on fathers' increasing participation in the care and development of their children is reviewed, and an overview of the father's role in the family is provided. Possible reasons for the increase in fathers' participation are suggested, foremost among them the increasing number of mothers in the workforce and the resulting need for…

Discusses connections between early childhood experiences and adolescent behavior, based on interviews with troubled 14- to 17-year-olds. Describes common characteristics of troubled adolescents. Asserts that early childhood professionals should take advantage of their opportunity to positively affect individual children and delineates actions to…

Maintains that preschool children can develop basic musical knowledge/concepts that include steady beat, tempo, melody, and volume through such musical activities as the singing of developmentally appropriate songs. (BB)

Explores an anecdote about a parent withdrawing her child from a child care program as a metaphor for the current status of early childhood to illustrate the pedagogical, practice, and policy dilemmas challenging the field. Maintains that pedagogy, practice, and policy are inseparable and that early childhood professionals must be cognizant of…

Argues that standardized testing encourages a standardized pedagogy in a nonstandard, diverse student population and is characterized by logical fallacies and procedural problems. Concludes that conventional tests create barriers to learning and educational policies with important consequences for children. Encourages early childhood teachers to…

The purpose of this paper is to assist early childhood teachers in developing curriculum content by considering the philosophical issues that surround the curriculum decision-making process. Curriculum development is construed in terms of a multi-step decision-making process through which teachers progress. Steps of the process are: (1)…

As early childhood teachers apply principles of guidance rather than punishment in their classrooms, they face the challenge of avoiding a slippage into traditional discipline practices and transcending the punitive aspects of discipline. Guidance is designed to teach children democratic life skills and therefore goes beyond discipline. Teachers…