Noting that full-day kindergarten has become an increasingly popular scheduling option in U.S. schools during the past 30 years, this booklet provides a brief review of recent literature on full-day programs and highlights important considerations for educators, policymakers, and parents assessing their kindergarten options. The booklet also…

Early childhood development is increasingly viewed as an affirmation of children's rights. This report describes the concept of early childhood development and presents several viewpoints regarding early childhood care and development, parenting, and approaches to early education. The report also presents 10 case studies of programs to enhance the…

El Arco Iris is a supplementary pre-school program for Hispanic 4- and 5-year-old children and their parents. The Brownsville (Texas) Independent School District operates the program. Ninety-five percent of the kindergarten children in this district begin school speaking little or no English and median family incomes are among the lowest in the…

The purpose of this paper is to provide information about the current status of available programs, research findings related to quality programs, and issues surrounding programs for 4-year-old children. The paper is intended as a resource for multiple audiences, including decision makers, legislators, regulatory administrators, advocates,…

This book is based on lectures delivered by 12 cross-cultural social science scholars drawn from 7 countries to address critical issues related to knowledge construction in human development and allied disciplines. The book is organized into two major sections. Section 1 focuses on theoretical perspectives and Section 2 highlights ongoing research…