The inclusion of multicultural education in elementary school instructional programs provides a means for children to acquire accurate knowledge, develop positive attitudes, and learn to respect and appreciate ethnic diversity. (Author/GC)

Argues that while Billman and Sherman's book is intended for early-childhood-practicum courses, it may be better suited to a child-development course wherein the activities suggested would reinforce content. Examines each book chapter in terms of usefulness toward its goals of providing students with a link between theory and practice and…

Describes the teacher preparation program at LaSalle University, recently restructured around principles of human growth and development. Suggests that foundation courses stress developmental principles in relation to educational practice, the image of the child, educational theory, and educational language. Argues foundation courses suffer from…

Presents a useful technique for helping meet individual student needs and improving reading comprehension. Examines how literature can be used, through the bibliotherapeutic technique, with collaborative groups to facilitate the total development of children. (MG)

Developmental assumptions that are frequently regarded as constraints on elementary school science curricula are analyzed. The argument that elementary school children cannot function as experimentalists because they have not yet attained formal operational thought is not supported by the Piagetian or non-Piagetian research reviewed. (SLD)

To aid at-risk children, summer intervention programs must emphasize links between physical well-being and drug awareness, nutrition, health, and safety. West Virginia's Project YES (Youth Enrichment Services) is a comprehensive, community-based program highlighting many aspects of child development. The article describes the program's history,…

Questionnaire responses from kindergarten teachers and their principals indicated that teachers did not believe in emphasizing academics but did believe in the use of child-centered activities and the value of motor, art, and physical activities in early childhood education. (BC)

Four articles discuss recent findings on early brain development, describe classroom applications for specific findings, and include a brain compatibility evaluation: (1) "Primed for Learning: The Young Child's Mind" (Karen Stephens); (2) "Turning Knowledge into Practice" (Pam Schiller); (3) "Is Your Program Brain…

This response to an article regarding the tension between talent development and personal growth in gifted education argues that dissociation of these two aspects is conditional, not a constant state of affairs. Contingencies and processes responsible for the dissociation are identified and ways to integrated these two perspectives are discussed.…

Describes Vygotsky' view of play and its contribution to children's development. Presents developmental paths of play, focusing on the development of imaginary situations, explicit roles, and implicit rules. Describes how play leads to literacy and supports self-regulation, and ways early childhood teachers can facilitate play through promoting…

Reviews current practices related to child psychiatry teaching to undergraduate medical students. Describes the development of a child psychiatry course at the University of Leicester (UK). (Contains 17 references.) (Author/WRM)

The purpose of this study was to investigate how early childhood teachers in Korea understand developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) and follow DAP's instructional guidelines. In order to obtain insights for developing "educare," an integrated system for the education and care of young children in Korea, a comparison of early…

Parenting education programs have traditionally consisted of teaching skills and providing information about child development, but have not focused on parents' own development as individuals and as parents. The Reflective Dialogue Parent Education Design (RDPED) described in this article helps parents increase their self-awareness and their…

There are many dimensions of play and play's significance for children's development and learning is often emphasized, but how do preschool teachers see children's use of computers in preschool? A qualitative study was done with 13 Swedish preschool teachers that had experience working with computers in preschool. The overall aim of this study was…

This paper explores the potential for using narrative to foster children's spiritual growth. It discusses the nature, origin and appeal of story and presents theoretical perspectives which form a rationale for using non-sectarian children's, adolescent and young adult literature for spiritual development. Such books avoid church-and-state…