Intended to suggest types of early childhood education programs which may be implemented in rural areas at reasonable cost and which capitalize upon the rural environment's unique characteristics, this booklet describes 12 programs (many of which use Elementary and Secondary Education Title I or III funds) currently operating in rural areas. The…

This report describes a six-week Homestart pilot project designed to provide Head Start-type services to young children in their homes. The program consisted of three components: (1) home visits, in which Piagetian tasks were introduced to encourage verbal interaction between parent and child; (2) weekly group meetings for the children which…

Outlines the development of Plato, a unified computer system linking terminals to a central educational network; critically reviews Plato's new Homelink system which provides access to 273 games and lessons; and discusses its present capabilities and possible future improvements to make Homelink attractive to home users interested in educational…

Early Head Start (EHS) is a comprehensive, two-generation program providing intensive services from before birth to age 3 to promote improved outcomes in children's development, family development, staff development, and community development. The second of a 3-volume series designed to share the experiences of the 17 EHS programs participating in…

Explores the advantages of beginning or continuing a home visitation program as a method for developing positive school-home relationships. Reveals that home visitation is not widely practiced due to unavailable or uncooperative parents, lack of time, and safety concerns. Addresses strategies to overcome obstacles and program management concerns.…

A home-based, computer-monitored contingency intervention program was developed to provide a source of cognitive and motivational stimulation to infants with handicaps. Equipment includes a computer, contingency interface, software, adaptive toys, switches, and a mounting panel. Learning was exhibited by 19 of 20 infants, and parental response was…

The article describes activities and outcomes of a home-based early intervention project in Jamaica which helped two mothers learn to communicate with their young congenitally deaf children. The program suggests a pragmatic approach to help Third World parents who are unable to participate in structured sessions in the school environment. (DB)

A communication training program for parents of new cochlear implant users includes an assessment of parents' communication behaviors using the Communication Index for Parents, a parent seminar, a home-training program, and a parent library. Speech and listening diaries, completed by parents at regular intervals, provide information to guide…

Healthy Families America is a national, voluntary, home visiting program model designed to help expectant and new parents get their children off to a safe and healthy start. Since 1992, it has been successfully replicated in over 440 communities in the U.S. and Canada. This article describes the program's reflective, relationship-based model and…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of the Georgia Deaf-Blind Project, a 3-year federally supported project encompassing 159 counties and providing technical assistance to 237 infants, children, and youth with deaf-blindness along with their families and their service providers. Project accomplishments included: (1) more…

This document describes programs that serve migrant preschool children and their families or that would be adaptable to the migrant population. Model programs illustrate trends in the direction of a "whole family" approach to early childhood education, respect for the importance of proficiency in the child's first language with regard to…

Cost-benefit studies of the Early Intervention Research Institute at Utah State University are summarized. No differences were found in educational effectiveness between half- and full-day programs, with the costs of half-day programs being about 75-85% of full-day programs. No significant differences were found between groups served by…

The popularity of home care for chronically ill or technology-dependent children has moved professionals into unfamiliar settings. Factors responsible for the relatively sudden surge of effort to place children with complex needs at home include costs, individualism and autonomy, changing views of medicine and its institutions, limits of medical…

Though personnel preparation programs for interventionists working with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers focus on the same competencies, there is content which is unique to teaching the infant or toddler in the home and teaching a preschooler in the classroom. Content is suggested for training early interventionists to deliver services to…

Federal legislation and programs affecting personal assistance services for persons with disabilities are examined. Personal assistance services may be provided for activities of daily living, communication, cognitive tasks, or mobility, depending on the needs of the individual. The population in need of attendant services has increased with…