Reviews the history and growth of early childhood education; research that has influenced changes; the issue of which agency should sponsor preschool services; the changing preschool curriculum; and future issues such as quality and universal care. (SK)

Sought responses of teachers of 4- and 5-year-olds to the Foundation Stage of the English national curriculum. Found that teachers welcomed the Curriculum Guidance because the document acknowledged the value of play for young children's educational needs and endorsed their return to what they believed were sound educational practices. Found that…

Discusses ideas for establishing rituals and celebrations to ease enrollment and staffing transitions during the child care center school year. Recommends ways to make transitions part of the curriculum through the use of daily routines, picture books, celebrations, and gift giving to mark significant events and changes. (JPB)

Maintains that preschool and kindergarten curricula should encourage experiential learning, and not just formal academic education. (BB)

Fourteen preschool children with mild to moderate disabilities were immersed in a literature-rich environment with multiple daily readings by adults of a small number of familiar and predictable books and structured techniques to encourage children to interact independently with books. The study indicated that subjects were able to demonstrate…

Presents a series of questions that can be used to evaluate early childhood curriculum products in terms of their underlying assumptions, their approaches to learning, content areas, and the vendor capabilities and support. Includes a list of curriculum product developers. (KB)

Concept webbing allows teachers to introduce simple concepts, building upon them to introduce more complex concepts, allowing for the natural integration of expanding intellectual functions. Concept webbing can be a vehicle for recording curriculum, assures that both teacher and students see relationships, incorporates the advantages of thematic…

Urges caution in purchasing educational products or incorporating educational approaches presented as "brain-based." Critiques brain research on critical periods and enriched environments. Notes that no studies have connected physiological brain function and educational practice and that educators need to be aware of the dangers in…

This paper starts from the premise that teachers' discourse communities influence how ideas for reform are implemented. In order to understand some of the discourse surrounding the reforms proposed by GAISE, an online focus group activity was conducted. The focus group consisted of pre-service and practicing teachers responsible for teaching…

This report systematically reviews research on the outcomes of programs that teach young children in a group setting before they begin kindergarten. Study inclusion criteria included the use of randomized or matched control groups, evidence of initial equality, and study duration of at least 12 weeks. Studies included valid measures of language,…

"Ready, Set, Leap!"[R] is a preschool curriculum that focuses on early reading skills, such as phonemic awareness, letter knowledge, and letter-sound correspondence, using multisensory technology that incorporates touch, sight, and sound. Teachers may adopt either a theme-based or a literature-based teaching approach, and for each…

The purpose of this study was to compare cognitive effects of two developmentally sequenced preschool curricula with outcomes of a traditional eclectic preschool curriculum. Specifically, pretest and posttest scores for children taught with the Brigance Diagnostic Inventory of Early Development and the Portage Guide to Early Education were…

This report reviews a practicum designed to study and address problems of the physical play environment of a preschool which served children of 2 to 5 years. The goals of the practicum were to: (1) increase the amount of time children spent in physical play activities; (2) enhance the play environment by the addition of at least 10 pieces of…

Intended as a resource for kindergarten teachers, administrators, parents, and those who develop curriculum, this handbook is designed to assist local school districts in planning and administering kindergarten programs. Consisting of three distinct sections, each with its separate cover, the handbook provides: (1) a guide to curriculum…

The purpose of this study was to describe preschool teachers' interventions during children's free play. A Weberian sociological framework was used to examine (1) what happens when teachers intervene into children's play, (2) teachers' beliefs and thus their decisions about play, and (3) the relationship between these issues. Three preschool…