This pamphlet discusses new curriculum guidelines, as approved under Ruling number 5220/97, for preschool education in Portugal. The law defines preschool as a first step in basic education that complements the education provided by the family, and recommends that schools work in collaboration with parents to foster the training and balanced…

High quality African American literature exposes young children to accurate and realistic images of Black people and can be used to enhance any early childhood education program. This bibliography annotates over 40 examples of African-American children's literature for use with young children. The selections are a combination of poetry and fiction…

This working paper presents options for federal and state policymaking to create incentives for states and communities to make preschool education available to all young children. The majority of 3- to- 5-year-olds are engaged in preschool programs of one form or another, and one answer to questions regarding the quality of these programs is…

This 23-minute videotape illustrates how staff of preschools, child care centers, Head Start programs, and other early childhood settings can create an environment that welcomes family members and is accepting of each child's family experiences and culture. The videotape features scenes from a variety of High/Scope classrooms to illustrate the…

Noting that full-day kindergarten has become an increasingly popular scheduling option in U.S. schools during the past 30 years, this booklet provides a brief review of recent literature on full-day programs and highlights important considerations for educators, policymakers, and parents assessing their kindergarten options. The booklet also…

This paper examines global approaches to culturally and developmentally appropriate early childhood education, focusing on Kindezi, an Africentric perspective. The paper describes Kindezi as the art of touching, caring for, and protecting children's lives and their environment, based on the Kindezian philosophy that children are a gift of God and…

The term curriculum model refers to a conceptual framework and organizational structure for decision making about educational priorities, administrative policies, instructional methods, and evaluation criteria. This digest discusses the role of curriculum models in early childhood education. Following a discussion of the origin of early childhood…

This book is a collection of developmentally appropriate activities for 3- to 5-year-olds, designed to be easily integrated into the daily schedule of an early childhood program. The book's introduction describes the collection's theme units, delineates typical half- and full-day schedules, and discusses the arrangement and management of classroom…

A survey revealed that early childhood teacher training students and postgraduates had similar responses to questions on perspectives, curriculum, social dimensions, and academic success. (EKN)

A curriculum was designed to give preschool caregivers basic nutrition background through a programed self-instructional unit; incorporate nutrition education into existing parts of a typical preschool day; and provide learning activities designed to help preschoolers relate food/nutrients to health. Development of materials, caregivers'…

Summarizes rationale for early childhood educational intervention efforts and describes the Carolina Abcedarian Project: a longitudinal, early educational program providing supplemental preschool experiences designed to prevent the cumulative and progressive decline in intellectual and socially adaptive behavior shown by children from extreme…

Describes music as a mnemonic that adds variety and interest to the curriculum and is an important component of multisensory learning. Offers suggestions for creating/using story songs with young children, including the use of one musical phrase in an existing story and creating a melody for an entire story. Gives practical advice for using and…

Describes the history of early childhood education in Chile and recent educational reforms. Offers an overview of the Chilean Early Childhood Education program and discusses the new national curriculum and issues arising from its implementation. Describes methods taken to help implement the new curriculum nationwide and to assist teachers in…

Describes the curriculum activities in one child-centered, developmentally appropriate child care facility preschool classroom. Explains how activities are selected according to children's needs, interest, and ability, and how activities address the kindergarten core competencies mandated by the North Carolina public school system. Asserts that…