What kinds of learning should be provided for a four- or five-year-old child who is beginning a school experience? First, he should have extended opportunity to explore the physical world. He should be helped to become increasingly sensitive to the world in which he lives. We want to provide full opportunity for doing and making. We want to…

The Brookline Early Education Project (BEEP) has been initiated by the Public Schools of Brookline, Massachusetts to help parents provide an optimum learning environment for their children throughout the preschool years. Enrollment in BEEP begins at birth and the project provides educational and diagnostic services, including pediatric care. Each…

The paper gives a brief overview of the National Institute of Education's Fourth Model for Career Education, a residential model operated by a non-profit corporation for rural disadvantaged families. The model consists of three operational units: Career Guidance-Youth, Career Guidance-Adult, and Work Experience Education. The Youth element of the…

This brochure focuses on characteristics of severely disadvantaged young children as they come to school, and describes some of the things the visiting specialists found skillful teachers in 16 cities were doing to help children overcome their handicaps. The report shows: (1) How teachers arrange classrooms to stimulate curiosity and learning; (2)…

The federal Even Start program was implemented to improve the educational opportunities of low-income children and adults by integrating early childhood education, adult education, and parent education into a unified family literacy initiative. Because children's first formal educational experiences may significantly influence the course of their…

Summarizes the global efforts of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to ease poverty and help developing nations to build their capacity for sustainable development. Includes a glossary of poverty and human development terms, a human poverty index ranking for developing countries, and suggested teaching activities. (MJP)

Children born to heroin-dependent mothers (n=83) were compared to 76 children born to heroin-dependent fathers and to 3 control groups with and without environmental deprivation and health problems. Results found that developmental delays and behavioral disorders found among heroin-exposed children resulted primarily from severe environmental…

Presents an interview with Walter Turnbull, founder and conductor of Boys Choir of Harlem (New York). Turnbull discusses the origins of the choir and the positive affects it has had on its many participants. He also discusses the role of music in arts education and the importance of the arts in the curriculum. (MJP)

Identifies relative deprivation as a subjective feeling of discontent based on a belief that one is getting less than one feels entitled to. Investigates the relationship between relative deprivation, ethnic identification, and racial attitudes in South Africa. Discusses the connections between these beliefs and recent sociopolitical changes. (MJP)

The retired Procter & Gamble corporate leader and member of the Committee for Economic Development (CED) discusses the crisis in the American education system and his efforts for reform. Subjects covered include implications for business and the nation, business and federal reform initiatives, and the mandate for community-wide involvement.…

Surveyed 300 children and 300 teachers in Lagos, Nigeria to determine unmet needs for education. Reasons given for poor-quality education included poor teacher morale, poor parent cooperation, and poor child interest, the latter attributed to chronic malnutrition and illness. Suggestions were made for proper teacher training, adequate…

The need to promote healthy active ageing in order to offset the impact of an ageing population on national resources and ensure a high quality of life in older age is well recognized. In 2001, the English Department of Health established a national pre-retirement health initiative involving the development of eight pilot projects. A national…

Despite the fact that current reforms in education have placed significant emphases on the integration of computer-based technology in the curriculum and the use of it to improve teaching and learning, researchers reveal that effective technology pedagogy that assists to increase student achievement is not always used in urban and high poverty…

In some primary schools, the average performance of pupils over several years is significantly below the level that could be expected of these pupils. There are several theories for this phenomenon, known as underperformance. Theory on opportunity to learn predicts that pupils in underperforming schools are not given sufficient opportunity to…

Children's exposure to violence can potentially impede all stages of their development. This bulletin discusses why abused children have difficulty learning and the impact of growing up in violent surroundings and unsafe neighborhoods. It identifies the risk factors of violence, as well as the following key factors that contribute to a child's…