While the debate over the optimal age for second language (L2) acquisition continues into the 21st century--that is, whether or not there is a clearly established critical period beyond which L2 learning cannot take place--most people believe (rightly or wrongly) that "earlier is better." In this article, the authors begin with the premise that…

School counselors need to have accurate and age-appropriate prevention education information in order to counsel teens on drug use. This article presents developmentally specific prevention materials for the most important emerging substances of abuse: Ecstasy, methamphetamine, cough and cold medication, prescription opiates and stimulants, and…

This policy brief explores kindergarten readiness observation and its benefits to local and state level stakeholders; highlights efforts by California counties and other states to measure school readiness; and makes recommendations for moving toward statewide use of kindergarten readiness observation tools. Key points include: (1) Early efforts to…

This paper discusses the developmentally appropriate design of child care centers, focusing on the qualities or properties of center design that have been proven to influence child development. The paper suggests that the design of child care centers can be considered in terms of the five main steps in planning and designing a child care facility.…

Whether the transition to primary school is smooth or abrupt for children depends on whether early childhood and elementary school programs work together to build bridges between their services. This report presents several examples of collaborative efforts to smooth the transition to school. Specifically, it describes how various elements of five…

This report describes the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) Preschool Programs, which envision an early childhood educational delivery system that provides for developmentally appropriate practices in children's programming, integrated services to families, and interagency collaborations among organizations. For the 1990-91 school year,…

The Unified Elementary ProTeach (Professional Teacher; http://www.coe.ufl.edu/school/proteach/index.html) program at the University of Florida (UF) prepares teachers with a dual emphasis in elementary education and mild disabilities. All graduates are also prepared to work with students who are English speakers of other languages (ESOL). The…

Information about Georgia's Special Instructional Assistance Program (SIA) is presented. The program is designed to serve children in kindergarten through grade five who are functioning below the normal expectations for their age range, usually as a result of deficient language and cognitive development. The vast majority of SIA teaching and…

This paper describes a 2-year project establishing an interpretive community of field-based teacher researchers and a university-based teacher researcher at four urban preschools in San Francisco, California. The primary research focus of the project is an examination of practical and theoretical connections between current notions of…

Examines the role of playgrounds that use discarded items or "junk" as an integral part of kindergarten classes in an Israeli kibbutz. Suggests that play in the junkyard, by including the whole person--muscles and senses, emotion and intellect, individual growth and social interaction--can offer the experiential foundations on which…

Describes how young children's perceptions of death relate to their stage of cognitive development. Discusses basic responsibilities of teachers regarding death education in early childhood settings: helping children feel safe while acknowledging the reality of death, promoting an accepting classroom atmosphere, and providing developmentally…

One school system's efforts to improve the quality of its early childhood programs included making early childhood education the top priority; exposing principals to developmentally appropriate practices; creating early childhood collaboratives; training teachers; upgrading classrooms; establishing demonstration centers; providing support for…

Describes the format of, and topics covered in, the Partners in Play training model, which is designed to enrich children's play in child care settings through the development of play training for parents and caregivers. Training focuses on techniques and strategies that help adults understand and facilitate play. (BB)

Discusses the Management and Planning System (MAPS), a developmental assessment system initiated in Head Start. The system consists of instruments which assess preschoolers' and kindergartners' development of math, science, literacy, and social skills and children's motor development. Describes the use and benefits of MAPS observational…

At Mary Harrison Primary School (Toledo, Oregon), staff spent months crafting a shared vision statement and restructuring plan based on recommended developmentally appropriate practices for early childhood programs. The school's child-centered program now features multiage classrooms, individualized instruction, cooperative learning, a schoolwide…