Growing a nature kindergarten that can flourish takes a community, careful planning, and sustained support. In 2011, the Sooke School District in British Columbia, Canada undertook the project of creating a nature kindergarten when outdoor programs of this kind did not exist in the Canadian public school system. Inspired by the well-established…

This article describes the practical application of an innovative bilingual preschool program that involves two-way immersion of both English and Chinese in classrooms. This has not been written about extensively, especially in the context of early childhood classrooms in Asian countries. The primary goal of the two-way immersion kindergarten is…

This article critiques the notion of individually-focused notions of leadership, instead offering an ecocritical conceptual framework that works to support education at all levels with the aim of recognizing the importance of how leaders in Western industrial culture think, act, and thus organize communities. This framework is applied to examine…

Intended for school personnel, this report contains the findings and results of a pilot developmental kindergarten program in a Duval County, Florida school district that traditionally emphasized an academic kindergarten program. The report provides the baseline data that was the impetus for implementing the developmental program, the objectives…

Provided is a guide for school districts interested in adopting the Helping Eliminate Early Learning Disabilities (HEELD) Program, an early childhood learning program developed and operated in Oregon. The HEELD program is described, and guidelines for implementing the four phases of the program are presented. Sections cover each of the phases as…

This document presents guidelines for kindergarten programs and identifies goals based on the physical, emotional, intellectual, and social development of children 4 to 6 years of age. Separate chapters briefly focus on the kindergarten child's brain development; the role of play in children's learning; the teacher's role in guiding play; the…

Organized as both a reference document and a how-to-do-it manual, this handbook was prepared to answer frequently asked questions about the value of kindergarten and to assist those interested in securing support to address local needs and to implement kindergarten programs in New Hampshire. Chapter 1 provides a discussion of the rationale for…

This manual provides screening guidelines for rural preschool and kindergarten programs and describes the development of a model Early Screening Program (ESP) that involves nine child stations and two parent stations. Screening stations developed for assessment included: (1) gross motor; (2) visual motor; (3) visual perception; (4) auditory…

In its nine chapters, this summary provides a preview of Connecticut's forthcoming "A Guide to Program Development for Kindergarten, Part 1." Chapter 1 reviews historical antecedents, including Froebel's influence, kindergarten in the United States before 1900, European influences in the early 20th century, American influences, the…

This handbook describes ways that families, schools, and child-care centers can work together to achieve Vermont's state goals for early childhood education. The following topics are presented: (1) the goals and principles guiding Vermont's early education program; (2) the role of kindergarten in a child's educational career; (3) the need to shift…

Various components of quality early childhood programs are detailed in the papers contained in this book. In the opening chapter, Mildred Dickerson and Martha Ross assess the current status of child care in the United States. Milly Cowles, in a chapter on curriculum, outlines the essential components of effective early childhood programs. Mac…

This curriculum guide for developing musical behaviors in grades K-6 offers a model for moving the young child from basic knowledge attainments to higher levels of musical behavior. A procedure for developing and implementing course objectives is outlined. Concepts/skills to be acquired at given levels are provided to assist teachers and…

In two parts, Connecticut's 1988 kindergarten curriculum guide offers both a philosophical foundation and a practical direction for program development. Part I discusses the historical perspectives of kindergarten; the basis for understanding the effect of growth and development in planning for young children; a focus on the interactionist…