Describes the typical kindergarten day as experienced by one child in the German-speaking region of Switzerland. Illustrates the main goal of kindergarten as preparing children for school rather than teaching reading, writing, or written numeracy. Focuses on the oral language learning approach incorporating teacher- and child-initiated activities.…

There is a growing awareness today of the critical impact of the preschool years on a child's later academic success. Some studies indicate that many children today are less well prepared for school than were children beginning school 5 years ago. This publication examines what is known about school readiness; discusses the reasons why some…

While many contemporary developmental theorists have avoided taking a stand on the controversial relationship between learning and development, this paper is based on the belief that the notion of "bandwidth of competence," or L. S. Vygotsky's "zone of proximal development," provides a useful framework for considering this…

This document is a description of the National Children's Study, the largest long-term study of children's health and development ever to be conducted in the United States. The National Children's Study reaffirms the federal government's commitment to the health and well being of children by drawing together the nation's top experts on child…

A unified model of teaching and learning, representing a synthesis of internal and external forces influencing learning processes, diagrams interrelationships between the following processes: activator, situational evaluation, anticipated ends, stress, action, outcome, external evaluation, feedback, internal assessment, curiosity, and internal…

This article describes the Montessori educational philosophy and method as it can be applied to preschool children at risk for learning disabilities. This approach to early intervention is designed to offer an individualized program which provides success and a conceptual preparation for later academic learning. (Author/DB)

Discussions conducted with people with visual impairments indicated that clients undergoing mobility training first need to overcome inhibitions, stress, and anxieties, which are influenced by the timing of and their readiness for mobility training, insufficient information about mobility, feelings of isolation and helplessness, and lack of…

On the surface, it appears that it should be quite simple to identify the characteristics of a child who is ready for school and then to assess whether or not any given child has these characteristics. But readiness is a difficult construct and one that has been the topic of great debate. Assessment of readiness is even more challenging. Policies…

In this article Teresa Whitehurst and Amy Howells describe how pupils and staff from mainstream and special settings worked together on a project, resulting in a musical performance. They demonstrate at the outset that, even after several decades of integration and then inclusion, there remains an attitudinal hurdle to overcome. Mainstream pupils…

Nine articles on the young adolescent consider the ability of middle schools to adapt to the needs of their students, the educational implications of preadolescent development, adolescent brain growth and cognitive ability, and the relevance of Piaget's psychology to the middle school. The authors' conclusions include the necessity to identify and…

In 1990, the National Education Goals were established by the President and the 50 state governors. Goal 1 states that by the year 2000, all children in America will start school ready to learn. This booklet is a condensed version of an earlier document intended to further amplify the dimensions of early learning and development used by the…

This issue of the NCEDL Spotlight Series newsletter presents findings of a nationwide survey of state policies and definitions related to school readiness. Findings indicated that efforts to minimize the misuse of readiness assessment tools may have had some impact at the state level, with respondents showing an increased awareness of recommended…

This article describes the Early Years Summit, meetings between kindergarten and preschool educators in New Canaan, Connecticut, to improve communication and foster collaboration. Outcomes included defining the kindergarten curricula and outlining expectations for children's preschool experiences. The Summit collaboratively drafted a statement of…

Examines public library services to young children and their families and the possible effects of those services on preschool learning. Topics include library-community partnerships to promote literacy; readiness to learn; and children at risk for difficulties in acquiring literacy, including socioeconomic factors and ethnic and language…

This publication presents a summary of South Carolina's use of funds provided by Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act as an educational resource for educationally deprived children from 1985 to 1989, and identifies projects exhibiting the greatest gains in student achievement during fiscal year 1989. The report consists of…