This comparative study of everyday life in Norwegian and French preschools explores how 'risk' related to children's body practices is understood, practised and negotiated by teachers and how this may regulate educational practices in a short- and long-term perspective. Studying educational institutions in two different societies illuminates…

Given its importance in children's development and learning, researchers have rigorously studied play, and many teachers have used it as a classroom tool. Music researchers have observed that music regularly accompanies children's play because music is part of their culture, and "playing with music" is the most natural form of expression…

Recent findings from the Kids Activity and Learning Study complement North Carolina's multidimensional approach to promoting school readiness by emphasizing the integrated nature of motor and cognitive development in early childhood. Children whose motor skills improved the most over the course of an academic year also tended to demonstrate the…

This practical resource explains brain development from prenatal to age 8 with suggestions for activities educators and caregivers can use to foster children's cognitive growth. The authors begin with the basics of brain development, and the issues that affect it, and then provide information specific to infant, toddler, preschool, and…

Although the importance of physical development as an integrated part of early childhood education is well understood, many early childhood teachers lack the specific background and training in this area. To fill this gap, this article presents a framework of recommended practices and a corresponding assessment tool. The Head Start Body Start…

The authors show how teachers can use nature explorations as a personal guide in implementing early learning standards. They describe five outdoor experiences of children in age groups ranging from 20 months to 5 years. A chart specifies which of the Nebraska state learning guidelines and Creative Curriculum goals the experiences meet, across the…

The purpose of this paper is to show how curricular quality is related to the day-to-day activities experienced by children and the pedagogical activities of staff, both coded through systematic target-child observations. Data were drawn from the Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) and the Researching Effective Pedagogy in the Early…

This booklet explores why movement education is important for preschool children, what activities to include in a program, how and where to conduct a program, and criteria that can help to structure the program environment. The first section presents a rationale for the use of movement education for helping preschool children to develop…

This booklet discusses techniques and activities intended to help early childhood educators to explain the structure and function of the human body to preschool children. It reviews typical questions that preschoolers have about what goes on inside their bodies, observations that children make about the human body, how children draw the human…

Based on classroom observations, developmental assessment, individual educational planning, and research, this curriculum describes developmentally appropriate practices to assist adults who work with young children (primarily 3-year-olds) in providing quality care and education. Chapter 1 sets out the study's specific questions, procedures,…

THIS CURRICULUM REPORT DESCRIBES A SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR EDUCABLE PRESCHOOL RETARDATES TOGETHER WITH AN ACCOUNT OF ITS DEVELOPMENT IN EXPERIMENTAL CLASSES OF NEW YORK CITY. THE SETTING AND PROCESS OF THE DEVELOPMENTAL CURRICULUM, THE CURRICULUM GUIDE AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION, AND THE OBSERVED BEHAVIOR AND GROWTH OF THE PARTICIPATING CHILDREN…