The National Household Education Survey (NHES) is a random digit dial telephone survey of households developed by the National Center for Education Statistics. It has been conducted in 1991, 1993, 1995, and 1996, with varying components each year. The NHES 91/93/95/96 CD-ROM contains an electronic codebook (ECB) program that, after being installed…

These hearings transcripts present testimony on the impact of the Head Start program for preparing disadvantaged children for school, to inform the reauthorization of Head Start. Opening statements by U.S. Representatives Michael Castle (Delaware) and Lynn Wolsey (California) focused on needs for improving Head Start. A written statement by…

This document consists of 10 monthly newsletter issues for 2002, in English- and Spanish-language versions, exploring topics related to early childhood behavior and parenting. Regularly appearing features include book recommendations, "Library Resources,""Preschoolers in the Kitchen,""Kids Crafts,""Research…

The Illinois Early Learning Project (IEL) is funded by the Illinois State Board of Education to provide information resources on early learning and training related to implementing the Illinois Early Learning Standards for parents and for early childhood personnel in all settings. The IEL tip sheets offer suggestions to parents and early childhood…

This document presents an action plan developed by the Minnesota Early Care and Education Finance Commission during two years of study and deliberation to finance a state early care and education system that supports families and is focused on school readiness. Recommendations are presented in three categories: (1) more time and tools for better…

Based on the premise that the best teachers are those who have a firm understanding of the developmental needs of children and plan learning experiences to meet these needs, this resource guide was designed to provide prekindergarten teachers with a collection of classroom ideas and activities that serve as examples of how educators can facilitate…

Smart Start is a multi-disciplinary, comprehensive, community-based initiative to serve North Carolina children under age 6 and their families to ensure that all children enter school healthy and prepared to succeed. To achieve this, local county partnerships have focused both their attention and their funds on implementing child care programs,…

In rural Swaziland, fathers often migrate for work, leaving wives and children behind. The family is denied the presence of a husband, father, and role model, as well as economic support, which fathers often fail to remit home regularly. A longitudinal study investigated the effects of parent availability and other home characteristics on the…

This study documented current early childhood assessment policies and practices, focusing on changes since the 1988 nationwide survey and on changes occurring in response to Goal 1 of the National Education Goals, performance assessments, and integrated services for young children. Data were collected through telephone surveys and in-depth…

This paper presents the annual report of the Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN) for 2005. Throughout the year, PYN's members continued their focus on linking work and education in ways that promote access for young people to Philadelphia's growth economy, and supply a high-quality workforce to power the City's continued economic development. [For…

This study examined parent factors and teacher strategies fostering parent involvement and efficacy in a Canadian preschool intervention program in the Toronto area. Both English-as-a-second-language and English-speaking parent groups participated in school-based Parenting and Readiness Center programs with their 4-year-olds. Findings suggested…

A longitudinal early schooling process model was developed for first-year and second-year reading achievement, mathematics achievement, and socioemotional maturity with 1,539 low-income minority children. Data were collected from children and teachers over four time periods. Results indicate that family- and school-related cognitive readiness had…

Examined sources of children's reading, vocabulary, general information, mathematics, and letter-recognition skills upon entrance to kindergarten. Predictors included ethnicity, gender, child IQ, family environment, maternal education, and months in child care. Found the need for strong parental involvement in children's development and subsidized…

Examined the literacy activities of 47 father/child pairs over a two-year period in New Mexico. Found a variety of reading and writing activities and concern among fathers relating to school preparedness and bonding opportunities. Devised five recommendations aimed specifically at fathers to develop early reading and writing skills in their…

This study assesses the predictive validity of the Phelps Kindergarten Readiness Scale (PKRS) for later academic achievement and explores the utility of a domain-specific measure of kindergarten readiness. Kindergarten readiness scores were significantly correlated with both math and language arts achievement as measured by New York State…