Every student must be given the opportunity to participate in physical education and develop the skills and knowledge competencies to become skillful movers for a lifetime. Students with disabilities have unique needs that must be addressed in the least restrictive environment. With the adoption of the "National Standards and Grade-level…

This paper provides a detailed unit plan format for use by teacher trainers in early childhood education classes to teach students how to write integrated thematic unit plans for developmentally appropriate curriculum for young children. The paper first provides the outline for the thematic unit plan, and then explains each of the plan's 16…

Focusing on the argument that early childhood education plays a crucial role in children's future success, this guide provides information to educators about development-based education that leads to active and productive learning for children ages 4 through 6. The guide provides examples for planning and organizing classroom environments,…

Discusses the developmental appropriateness of implementing multicultural education in infant and toddler programs. Suggests ways to help bring multicultural education into the infant and toddler classroom. (BB)

This handbook describes the Family Connections program, which consists of 2 sets of guides developed to help families help their young children learn. One set is intended for preschool or kindergarten children, and one set for parents and caregivers. Each set contains 30 four-page guides. The guides are designed to be distributed to parents and…

Examines reasons for incorporating field trips into the curriculum, ways to plan successful expeditions, and appropriate field trip experiences for young children. (BB)

In child-centered education programs, children construct their own knowledge from their experiences and interactions with the world around them, and teachers foster children's growth and development by building on children's interests, needs, and strengths within a safe and caring environment. The Step by Step educational program developed a…

This document is comprised of three publications of the early childhood section of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: (1) prekindergarten mathematics standards; (2) a teacher's guide for early mathematics; and (3) a parent's handbook for early mathematics. The standards, developed by a broad-based group of individuals…

This training guide is designed to enhance the skills of Head Start education staff in applying knowledge of how children grow and develop to planning, implementing, and evaluating activities and experiences in the center, at home, and during group socialization sessions. Each of the guide's modules details module outcomes, key concepts, and…

Inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to early learning, this CD-ROM and Teacher's Guide invite young children on a journey with Ani, a friendly alien from another planet, to collect and learn about natural objects in seven different "learning centers." The CD-ROM program is designed to encourage creativity in science, art, and dramatic…

This guide is designed for early childhood educators who are helping their staffs implement the Creative Curriculum for Early Childhood, a curriculum that is based on child development theory and is developmentally appropriate for preschool and kindergarten children. A carefully organized and rich environment serves as the focus of this…

This document is comprised of five publications of the early childhood section of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: (1) prekindergarten literacy standards; (2) a teacher's guide to prekindergarten literacy standards; (3) a parent handbook regarding early literacy; (4) a Spanish-language version of the parent handbook;…

This document is comprised of four publications of the early childhood section of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: (1) prekindergarten standards related to social and emotional development and approaches to learning; (2) a teacher's guide to early social and emotional development and approaches to learning; (3) a…

In child-centered education programs, children construct their own knowledge from their experiences and interactions with the world around them, and caregivers foster children's growth and development by building on children's interests, needs, and strengths within a safe and caring environment. The Step by Step educational program developed a…