This report shows the rural disparities in the baseline data of the Birth and Kindergarten Cohorts of the national Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS). The National Center for Rural Early Childhood Learning Initiatives, known as Rural Early Childhood, commissioned Child Trends to perform the analysis of key indicators of child well-being and…

This study uses data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999 (ECLS-K) to examine how children's skills and knowledge at kindergarten entry predict their achievement in later grades. It extends previous research by examining longer-term achievement outcomes, namely test scores at the end of fifth grade, and…

Emphasizing strong partnerships with family and community, the School-Based Early Childhood Centers Project of the Child, Family, and Community Program (CFCP) identifies, develops, and evaluates early childhood partnerships with six Northwest school sites to provide case studies of the restructuring process. This report presents the results of a…

This newsletter contains seven articles on developmentally appropriate and equitable practices for use in preschool and primary classrooms and at home. Examples frequently relate to Hispanic or limited-English-proficient (LEP) students. "Parents As First Teachers: Creating an Enriched Home Learning Environment" (Abelardo Villarreal)…

Parents can play a key role in attaining the United States' National Education Goals, a main component of which is that all children will be ready to learn when they enter school. This guide for parents provides basic information on factors related to school success and a series of activities that parents can do with their children, ages 5 through…

In making the transition to preschool, some children exhibit behaviors that demonstrate an inability to function independently during parts of the school day. One such behavior is clinging, or the need for unusually frequent physical contact with the teacher. This study evaluated the efficacy of a social skills package and Premack contingency…

In view of the importance of literacy learning, this paper defines emergent literacy and explores how researchers and teachers define it in the 1990s. The paper also attempts to answer the following questions: (1) What is the best way to teach literacy to young children? (2) Is there a correct way to teach it? (3) What does the research say…

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) monitors the South's education reforms through "Benchmarks" reports, tracking progress toward 12 goals for elementary, secondary, and higher education that were endorsed by the SREB in 1988. The board collects state-by-state data every 2 years and compares how states are doing on over 60…

The resources available to parents and the actions parents can take to further their children's education is reviewed through a collection of essays that focus on the social and economic resources of the family and by looking into the home, community, and school to see how families are involved in educational activities. The importance of parent…

Most research on the subject of friendship has concentrated on peer acceptance, dyadic properties, and the contribution that friendship makes to development and adjustment. This book explores the role of friendships in a child's social and emotional growth. The articles, based on presentations made at an SRCD (Society for Research in Child…

This newsletter provides a periodic update on the activities of the Early Childhood Research Working Group (ECRWG), organized in early 1995 by the U.S. Department of Education and other federal government departments and agencies to promote interagency cooperation and public-private partnerships in early childhood research. This edition contains…

There is growing consensus among early childhood professionals about the importance of early childhood transition services (activities designed to ensure continuity for young children across different environments, including homes, child care settings, preschools, and schools). Providing such services requires collaboration and linkages among…

By December of the 1992-93 school year, 433 children were being served by the Chapter 1 Prekindergarten Program of the Saginaw, Michigan school district. A process evaluation was conducted to monitor the program and assess whether the program was being implemented as planned. The process evaluation consisted of a half-day classroom observation in…

This text describes curriculum guidelines that provide a set of principles that should form the basis for curriculum decision making in early childhood centers in Australia. The guidelines also make explicit some of the social and educational values that underpin the development, implementation, and evaluation of curricula. The guidelines are…

Research pertaining to implementation of the U.S. first national education goal calling for parents to prepare their children for school success is reviewed and synthesized. The report is organized to inform the design of a public awareness initiative aimed primarily at parents. It reviews research in an effort to guide decisions about the content…