This article documents home and community visits by early childhood pioneers during the Reform Era (1870-1920). The home-community visitors promoted the development of young children by addressing needs of poor and vulnerable children, their families, and their communities. As the rationale for focusing on the Reform Era, this article identifies…

Portions of this paper were presented at a research briefing, sponsored by the Subcommittee on Human Resources of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means. Results are presented from evaluations of several early intervention programs, all of which provided high quality, center-based early childhood education and…

Describes the tools, methodologies, and applications of educational technology that are increasingly being used to enhance classroom teaching and learning: television, film, radio, audiotape, videotape, programed instruction, computers, and computer based education. Provides a perspective on future developments in the use of technology in…

Reviews research demonstrating a positive relationship between children's quality interactions with teachers and their enhanced cognitive, socio-emotional, and language development. Discusses most frequently studied aspects of teacher behavior including roles, sensitivity/detachment, involvement and teacher talk. Describes influences on…

Addresses a number of arguments against government involvement in child care. Advocates carefully delimiting the involvement of government in child care. (BB)

Describes an intergenerational program in which children in an on-site child care facility interact with elderly long-term care patients. Discusses the positive effects of such interaction on both the children and the seniors. (HTH)

This study examined gender and ethnic trends in Mexican American and Anglo preschoolers at home and school using physical, physiological, dietary, activity, and socioenvironmental assessments. Height and total skinfolds showed significant ethnic differences, confirming that preschool represents an age of rapid habit and behavior development…

Four potential protective factors appear to promote resilience in disadvantaged African-American children through facilitating development of school-relevant social competencies. The factors are the following: (1) early education experiences; (2) parental involvement in early schooling; (3) early peer relationships; and (4) culturally compatible…

The Home Kit/Home Visit Program--designed for children needing reinforcement of basic concepts and knowledge of colors, shapes, numbers, letter recognition, and letter-sound correspondence--is proving successful in encouraging parent involvement in first-graders' learning of basic skills. Parents are provided with home learning kits to guide their…

Five families participating in the Vermont Rural Autism Project (VT-RAP) assessment process were interviewed. An overall theme of shifting attitudes emerged as well as 3 sub-themes: getting enrolled, becoming friends, and empowerment and transformation. All parents reported having a unique and meaningful experience of involvement in their child's…

Reflects upon, and makes recommendations for, teaching young children to read, write, and spell. Focuses on meeting children's emotional needs, essential components of healthy emotional development, how reading is typically taught, and learning letters and phonics. Stresses the importance of paying equal attention to developmental ages and stages,…

Describes "reader response" teaching techniques to enhance young children's critical thinking skills, build a sound literacy foundation, and clarify the relationship between reading and writing. Provides examples of response logs/journal entries, aesthetic responses such as drawings and dramatic reenactments, and student discussions…

Tested a model of individual differences in the development of emergent literacy. Focused on home environment contributions to children's emerging literacy skills and on processes relating family environment and two domains of emergent literacy (outside-in and inside-out). Found that early connections between home, language, and emergent literacy…

The authors describe a zone defense schedule (ZDS), a system for organizing the staff and environment of a preschool classroom. Specifically, it is used to organize the roles of adults in the classroom so that transitions between activities are easier for children and provides greater opportunity for teaching (both during the transition and…

In Sweden, governmental decision-making is based on a social-democratic ideology and a system of representative democracy. In citizens' meetings, the democratic values and norms, that are both a requirement and goal, at are formed. This concept of democracy, and the value system behind it, permeates Swedish culture, and its institutions and…