Forty-seven preschoolers were assigned to one of four conditions: structured instructions with structured or unstructured materials or unstructured instruction with structured or unstructured materials. Flexibility scores were significantly lower with structured materials than with unstructured materials, especially given structured instructions.…

Studied the canonical relationship of the Verbal and Nonverbal clusters of the Differential Ability Scales Upper Preschool Level among 77 preschool children. The two clusters shared 45 percent of their variance. Independent interpretation of the Verbal and Nonverbal scales was supported. (Author/NB)

Presents an inventory of the reading- and writing-like behaviors of eight preschoolers as demonstrated in their pretend play episodes. Represents one set of findings from an ethnographic study which explored the nature of literate behavior in pretend play. Describes specific data analysis techniques used to construct the inventory and provides…

Prekindergarten children are being expelled from their classes for behavior problems at a higher rate than students in K-12 schools, a study released May 17 reveals. The study, which was conducted by Walter S. Gilliam, a psychologist and an associate research scientist at the Yale University Child Study Center, shows that for every 1,000…

Athough positive behavior support (PBS) has been established as an effective approach for resolving the challenging behaviors of many populations, little research has evaluated PBS with children under the age of 4 years. In addition, few studies have considered the effectiveness of PBS delivered via consultation in typical childcare and preschool…

Education policy makers identify access to quality pre-Kindergarten programs as a critical step in early childhood development. While most agree on access, definitions of quality vary widely. A new study by the National Center for Early Development & Learning (NCEDL) finds that families define quality in broader terms than educators,…

To elaborate narratives, toddlers are dependent on adult co-construction. Both children and teachers make meaning and learn together. This article examines what themes toddlers introduce in mealtime conversations in preschool. The object of analysis is 39 toddler-initiated co-narratives constructed by toddlers and teachers in 15 videotaped meals…

"Standards," "guidelines," or "benchmarks" are different ways to describe curriculum-driven preschool requirements. Historically, children's education in the United States has been guided by content standards in grades K through 12. An educator may view the movement toward rigorous curricular frameworks and resulting…

The purpose of this three-part qualitative study was to investigate the perceptions principals had with their professional training based on selected leadership responsibilities that strongly correlated to student achievement. From the Marzano et al. (2005) quantitative study, the researcher selected the five strongest correlated responsibilities…

The achievement of quality, affordability and availability--what has been called the "trilemma" of child care--continues to pose relevant, moral challenges for administrators, teachers and parents. These three dimensions of the trilemma are directly related to questions of moral significance related to how the US child care structure…

Research Findings: This study is intended to widen the debate around the bachelor's degree (BA) as preparation for early childhood teaching when head teachers possess various levels of credentials and education. We examined classroom quality and teacher involvement in 231 classrooms sponsored by 122 different agencies, staffed and supervised by…

Child development theorists, researchers, and educators have long known that play is one of children's most valuable resources, vital to their social, emotional, and cognitive growth. Through play children make sense of the world around them and work through new experiences, ideas, and feelings. But in recent years, a host of social forces and…

This paper reports the first part of a 2-year longitudinal study, which examined the impact of age of entry to school on the reading development of 60 summer-born boys during Key Stage One. The sample was drawn from 18 schools in six Local Education Authorities operating different admissions policies. Thirty-one had attended nursery part-time,…

One of the most important benefits of computer use within educational settings has been described as its potential for use in collective activity. However; there is a need to take a closer look at the apparently unproblematic picture of children's actual cooperation around the computer. The purpose of this research was to study positions and…

Project Early Kindergarten (PEK) aims to improve the school-readiness of Saint Paul children and help close the achievement gap through offering high-quality educational experiences for preschool children. This report comes at the conclusion of the sixth year of PEK. Following an initial planning year (2004-05), PEK has served children through the…