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…

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…

A practicum was designed to provide an intervention for preschoolers who were at risk for academic difficulties. A developmentally appropriate curriculum was used to increase the developmental levels of the children, and training was provided to parents to enhance their parenting skills and knowledge, and consequently to guarantee the stability of…

As follow-up to an in-depth study of the District of Columbia's early learning programs and their impact, this study provided data on the transition of previously studied children from primary education to upper elementary grades. Academic progress of the original group of pre-kindergarten and Head Start children was studied during years 5 and 6…

This paper provides teachers with 35 techniques for promoting preschool children's prosocial development. Research findings that support many of the techniques are cited. Some of the techniques refer to caregivers' personal interactions with individual children or groups, while others target broader systems and require involvement of families,…

This publication discusses the nongraded primary education block mandated by the Kentucky General Assembly to take effect during the 1992-93 school year. In particular, the publication considers the framework for the implementation of the nongraded program in a central Kentucky cluster of school districts. An overview of the history of public…

This guide provides training units for high school home economics teachers to use with students interested in developing a child caregiver's knowledge and skills. Participation in a one-semester course based on the state's Child Development Curriculum Guide and another course based on this guide is expected to provide excellent preparation for the…

An evaluation of the 1988 implementation of New York City's 29-day-long Summer Kindergarten program for children entering first grade with little or no kindergarten experience is presented. A total of 9,444 children were enrolled in 436 classes in 171 schools located in 32 community school districts. The program ran from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM, Monday…

The first National Education Goal agreed to be President Bush and the nation's governors is that all children will start school ready to learn. The first objective under that goal is that of providing high quality and developmentally appropriate preschool programs for all disadvantaged and disabled children. This paper seeks to assist efforts to…

Tennessee's Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio project (Project STAR) was designed to study the effects of class size on pupils in primary (K-3) grades. Responses of Project STAR teachers (N=1,003) to the annual Teacher Exit Interview are summarily reported for 1986 through 1989. Generally, the perceptions of teachers in small classes, in regular…

High school theology instruction receives little attention in scholarly research. This is regrettable because such a unique curricular component has the potential to add much to the Catholicity of the school and to the religious development of faculty and students. To advance the discussion and application of the ideas presented in this focus…

The first five years of life are a period of profound growth and change as children begin to speak, think, reason, and feel. Brain research has found that both children's experiences and their relationships with others influence this early development in important and lasting ways. For local governments, the first five years represent a critical…

The rapid growth of information and communication technologies (ICT) has prompted concerns among parents, educators, and policymakers over the suitability of many educational applications and electronic toys for young children. This book provides information on how children from birth to age 6 develop an early awareness--and subsequently develop…

Based on the view that curricula for young children should involve thinking and planning for everything that can contribute to child development and the teacher's relationship with the child and the family, this book details a comprehensive, interactive curriculum for infants from birth to 18 months. Following an introductory chapter presenting…

Based on the view that curricula for young children should involve thinking and planning for everything that can contribute to child development and the teacher's relationship with the child and the family, this book details a comprehensive, interactive curriculum for toddlers 18 to 36 months. Following an introductory chapter presenting the…