Advocates extra time between kindergarten and the first grade for academically and socially immature children to acquire learning skills and develop positive self-esteem. Includes three case studies of former transitional class students. (PKP)

The key to developmentally appropriate practices is to let a child construct his or her own knowledge through interactions with the social and physical environment. Because the child is viewed as intrinsically motivated and self-directed, effective teaching capitalizes on the child's motivation to explore, experiment, and to make sense of his or…