This study explored how early childhood practitioners perceive young boys and girls in the classroom. Specific research questions addressed include: (1) Are the perceptions that practitioners have of young boys and girls significantly different?; and (2) If there is a difference, what is the nature of that difference? The study identified whether…

This text, the second of two volumes that describe results of a 1988 study of mobile preschool units in New Zealand, presents a series of descriptive case studies of the nine mobile preschool units operating in New Zealand. A major purpose of the case studies is to show similarities of and differences between the units. Factors accounting for…

The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate the operational theories of six early childhood teachers in a child care center and kindergarten in New Zealand. It is suggested that teacher educators have a responsibility to address the significant gaps in some teachers' theoretical accounts of their own practice, and that practice is most…

The history of the training and education of early childhood teachers, from the beginnings of their profession in the 19th century to the present, is reflective of the diverse and complex historical, political, and economic forces that have shaped the development of child care in this country. Early training followed an apprenticeship model, but…

This study examined 10 kindergarten teachers' use of instructional time to determine its relationship to student learning. Data were collected through classroom observations of student time-on-task and teacher-student interactions at 3-minute intervals over the course of 2 half-hour sessions with each teacher and his or her pupils. It was found…

The Center for Child Development facility on the University of South Florida campus in Tampa was opened in 1990. The facility includes three classrooms, a playground, and a room called "the Exploratorium." The exploratorium is 2,304 square feet in size and contains three built-in areas: a kitchenette, a water/science/arts center, and an…

This publication describes the work of the Servol program in Trinidad and Tobago. The Servol organization was started in Port of Spain in 1970 by Gerry Pantin. Servol's approach to helping disadvantaged people implies that one should never presume to know the needs of people; rather, one should ask them what their needs are. This approach produces…

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…

The major objectives of this study were to: (1) develop a questionnaire based on the National Association for the Education of Young Children's 1986 guidelines for developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood education; and (2) use the questionnaire to obtain information regarding kindergarten teachers' beliefs and instructional…

To facilitate program replication, this document comprehensively describes the University Consortium's (UC) Child Development Associate (CDA) resource model for Head Start training in Texas. Additionally, the discussion serves as a guide to the total UC-CDA modeling process for all Head Start grantees and associated institutions. Seven chapters…

It is an undeniable fact that storytelling makes a remarkable contribution to the domains of child development at an early age since it is stated that storytelling is the original form of teaching. Firstly, the contributions and effects of storytelling techniques to the cultural, cognitive, linguistic, socio-emotional and psychological domains of…

Questionnaire responses suggest although educators know the learning value of problem solving, they rarely use it. Twenty-one educators were introduced to learning through problem solving. They were read a story and asked to overcome an associated problem. The questionnaire assessed children's literacy learning through problem solving, and…

The total development of the child is described in this set of training materials, one of a series developed to train Child Development Associates. The multiple factors and principles which affect physical, intellectual, social, and emotional development are presented. Successful completion of this curriculum will enable the trainee to perform in…

This guide to mainstreaming health impaired preschoolers is one of a series of eight manuals on mainstreaming preschoolers developed by Project Head Start. The guide is addressed to parents, teachers and other professionals and paraprofessionals. Chapter I presents information on the meaning, benefits and implementation of mainstreaming. The role…

This workshop manual provides information and practice exercises in areas designed to train Child Development Associate (CDA) field supervisors. The manual includes: (1) a list of roles and related responsibilities of the CDA supervisor; (2) information on self-concept theory and its application to field supervision; (3) descriptions of the…