Evidence-based reform is transforming education at all levels, both in providing effective models for use in schools and in linking policy to effective practice on a broad scale. As early education moves from a concern with effects of preschool versus no preschool to focus on creating and evaluating effective preschool models capable of improving…

Teacher shortages are a pervasive global issue that is expected to continue, especially in low-performing, high-needs schools [O'Connor, E. A., Malow, M. S., & Bisland, B. M. (2011). Mentorship and instruction received during training: Views of alternatively certified teachers. "Educational Review," 63(2), 219-232]. In an effort to…

This article presents a way in which the innovative Nature Therapy conceptual framework coupled with creative therapeutic methods can help children develop resilience and support their coping with uncertainty and stress. It refers to the Safe Place programme that took place in 110 Israeli kindergartens, helping over 6000 children after the Second…

The prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents from low-income families in the USA has become a significant concern over the last 20 years. One of the major contributors to this problem is the lack of physical activity. The purpose of this paper is to describe initiatives designed to: (1) engage young children in physical activity during…

Much remains unknown about the status of early child development and care in Tanzania. The little information available has never been put together to provide a holistic picture of the progress so far made in this important area. This paper intends to synchronise the information available in Tanzania for the purpose of depicting the country's…

Accounts of fathers' reluctance to engage with locally based family learning groups rarely acknowledge the relationship between learning and identity. This tends not to be the case in parallel accounts of women's reluctance to become involved in groups or networks where the mainstream clientele is male. Drawing on the case study of a national…

Provides an overview of substance-abuse prevention strategies targeting children and adolescents in the United States. Discusses the effectiveness of several major prevention approaches and programs and their implications for service providers. (Author)

Examined the size, purpose, and use of three outdoor playgrounds attached to nursery schools, focusing on the attitudes of teachers to these outdoor areas the poor design of playgrounds in general. Concludes that more attention needs to be directed to the design and role of nursery school playgrounds. (MDM)

Describes the development, implementation, and implications of a speech-pathology-based language intervention program originated at the Children's Place, Ltd., day-care center. The program combines individual speech and language therapy by a speech and language pathologist with speech and language intervention by teachers in the classroom, thus…

Describes the pilot work and resulting project of the Muppet Club Project, designed to increase the effectiveness of available support mechanisms for emotionally and behaviorally disordered children by means of three elements: early identification of needs, making the most of existing resources in the community, and setting up activity groups for…

Describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of Project Literacy Education and Families (LEAF), a family literacy program that provides experiences for parents to develop their skills and confidence that will enable them to see possibilities instead of limitations. Details four Program components: adult literacy, early childhood…

Presents an individual model of quality child care in which infant-caregiver, parent-caregiver, and peer relationships are central features. The model considers the influence of precare differences and the effect of program characteristics and standards on the well-being of children, parents, and caregivers. (MM)

Examines New Zealand legislation that allows families greater decision-making power when the safety and welfare of their children are seen to be at risk. Discusses the Family Group Conference intervention model and its efficacy, concerns and criticisms that this model has evoked, and the model's potential applicability to child care and protection…

Provides a detailed, month-by-month account of a child's accelerated development from birth to age three. The parents and nannies followed a combined socially interactive and cognitively oriented language enrichment program that was developed to have significant, long-term effects on verbal, social, and cognitive competencies from infancy through…

The realities of a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, and multi-ability student population demand a unique and nontraditional approach characterized by an individualization sensitive to group identity. The primary goal of this alternative Early Childhood Studies/Education Program with a degree of Bachelor of Science is to provide a comprehensive…