Noting that federal, state, and local decisionmakers are asking critical questions regarding the nature of young children's education, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education (NAECS/SDE) have issued this official position…

This guide shares information about the South Carolina Curriculum Standards with parents. The standards outline state requirements for children's learning, and what students across the state should be able to do in certain subjects. The guide lists seven key reasons for parents to be aware of the new curriculum standards, and then presents a…

This report contains basic data about the organization and structure of pre-school and primary education in the educational system of the countries of the European Union. Three essential aspects of children's schooling are addressed: (1) the pattern of the school year and the time devoted to teaching; (2) organization of teaching and evaluation;…

From the academic--or instructivist--perspective, the young child is seen as dependent on adults' instruction in the academic knowledge and skills necessary for a good start for later academic achievement. This perspective is in direct contrast to the active and interactive curriculum assumed by proponents of the constructivist approach. This…

Presents a case study of a fourth-year kindergarten teacher who has altered her teaching from academic to more developmentally appropriate ways and now attempts to incorporate new curriculum expectations. Examines how her teaching practice evolved, her approach to new curriculum expectations, and what tensions, worries, successes and concerns…

Provides preschool teachers with techniques for effectively including children with disabilities in their classrooms. Examines parent cooperation, the classroom environment, curriculum, developmental problems, special teachers, and the use of the "buddy system." Presents a case study of the inclusion of a child with severe mental and…

Highlights essential differences between the professional lives of family child care providers and caregivers who work in centers. Presents implications for providing meaningful professional development activities for home-based caregivers. Suggests the need for training and support programs that reflect respect for and sensitivity to the unique…

Explores the learning opportunities cooking activities can provide in a kindergarten classroom. Language arts, math, science, fine-motor skills, art, health, music, and social studies are some of the curriculum areas that can benefit from these kind of activities. Cooking also is explored as an opportunity for parent involvement, where parent and…

Discusses High/Scope Preschool Curriculum Comparison study, which was designed to test impact of major methods of curriculum. Three models used differed in degree of initiative expected of child and teacher. Sixty-eight children of 3-15 years were studied. Results showed that child-initiated learning models led to high quality academic results and…

Maintains that Pica's resource book is an excellent guide for educators seeking new movement activities to perform with young children. Asserts that the organization of the book offers clear directions for the activities and proposes guidelines to transform the activities in interesting ways. Notes that the book sometimes does not provide specific…

This study of 16 Singapore child care centers found that children spent most of their time engaged in adult-led group, cognitive, and daily routine activities. Findings also suggest that good quality centers offer a variety of cognitively stimulating activities, such as literacy activities, academic and problem-solving tasks, and verbal…

Early literacy involves daily reading aloud as well as writing or dictating activities. Preschoolers learn that reading is enjoyable, pictures provide story clues, and print goes from left to right and represents words and meaning. Listening, watching, and asking questions increase vocabulary and comprehension. Sidebars include tips, a book list,…

Describes development of a Temple University course on curriculum in early childhood education that provides 60 percent of instruction on-line. Includes information on course design, instructional methods, course implementation, and student course evaluation. Found that students' views about on-line instruction were positive overall and that…

This article describes the ScienceStart! Curriculum, an early childhood curriculum that takes coherently organized science content as the hub of an integrated approach. ScienceStart! maps onto the typical preschool day and may be adapted for use in full-day or half-day preschool programs. It is designed to support the important developmental…

This report summarizes findings from the second year of an implementation study of the Early Childhood Cluster Initiative (ECCI). ECCI is a prekindergarten program in ten elementary schools and a community child care center in Palm Beach County, based on the design of the High/Scope Perry Preschool model. The initiative is characterized by low…