Examines the mind set in early childhood programs associated with effective implementation of anti-bias programming. Maintains that anti-bias programming involves a mind set that creates a permeating sense that everyone has value, and requires commitment to reasonable, fair, and sensitive attitudes and actions. Includes questions to identify the…

Examines issues of culture and identity, Canadian history and identity, and the relevance of these concepts as a curricular theme for early childhood preservice teachers and for young children. Compares the early childhood cultural experiences in Canada, Israel, and Britain. Delineates implications of understanding of the role of Canadian culture…

Discusses how food preparation activities in the early childhood classroom can facilitate parent participation. Explains how cooking activities can involve reading, math, science, reading, writing, multicultural components, and creativity. They also provide opportunities to foster social skills, independence, and following directions. Suggests…

Examined 10 early childhood teachers' views regarding curricular trends for young children, their teaching practices, and systemic constraints affecting their teaching. Teachers were identified as advocates, resistors, or traditionalists. Systemic constraints identified included early academics, reading wars, and standardized testing. Teachers…

To foster developmentally appropriate activities at mealtimes, child caregivers should let children serve themselves and eat until they are full; resist forcing children to eat; supply child-size utensils; offer foods that need to be spread, cut, broken, or spooned from a bowl; let children prepare some foods; and be aware of cultural values. (MDM)

Highlights the importance of helping children understand the role of farms, farmers, machinery, animals, and land in everyday life. Contains background information on farming and suggestions for related classroom centers for writing, art, library, block, dramatic play, cooking, discovery, math, and song and movement. Also includes suggestions for…

A developmentally appropriate curriculum should be an integral part of the written education and early childhood development services plan for every Head Start Program. Curriculum implementation is an ongoing process that includes developing a plan, orientating staff and families to the framework and its components, and providing continuous…

Clarifies issues surrounding teaching of the alphabet to preschoolers. Considers the meaning of "teaching" and examines links between letter knowledge, phonemic awareness, and learning to read. Presents suggestions for teaching the alphabet within developmentally appropriate practice guidelines, including beginning with the familiar, creating a…

Contends that play-based literacy offers a much-needed reasonable response to the increasing expectations placed on young children and their teachers for literacy development. Presents first-hand accounts of preschool teachers' responses to new play- based literacy activities. Notes that these changes resulted in significantly increased levels of…

Young children do science exploration and observation every day in their play. They spontaneously engage in parts of the scientific inquiry process--wondering, asking a question, planning how to answer the question, documenting their work, thinking about what happened, and sharing their results with others. Conducting an entire experiment is…

The purpose of this study was to assess healthy behavior recognition in Head Start, preschool children through picture identification. Participants in the study were 172 children in 7 Head Start centers, in 3 counties in Central Texas. The testing instrument was a booklet containing 30 questions, with 3 pictures per question, of which 1…

This report presents the current status of an ongoing qualitative case study of the implementation of the High Scope Curriculum in the preschool readiness program at one elementary school in Gordon County, Georgia. This program, provided for all 4-year-olds, includes home visits by a family services coordinator, parent involvement opportunities,…

Designed to assist administrators and teachers conducting prekindergarten early intervention programs for at-risk children, this curriculum guide outlines age-appropriate arts experiences that are process-oriented rather than product-oriented. After introductory statements, content focuses on learning activities in the visual arts, dance/creative…

For this paper on parental attitudes towards preschools in Belgium and Britain, information was gathered by means of individual and group interviews. It was found that parents in Belgium sent their children to preschool programs so that they could learn to become more independent and socially adept. Most Belgian children over age 2 attend these…

The proceedings of a 1983 symposium on early education and the exceptional child features 18 presentations of overall issues, cost effectiveness, special projects, social interaction, and curriculum and instructional issues. Works with the following titles and authors are included: "Education: A Look to the Future" (J. Tawney);…