This article reports on the development, internal consistency, and reliability of a new preschool and kindergarten classroom observational measure based on NAEYC's Guidelines for Developmentally Appropriate Practices. The Classroom Practices Inventory (CPI) is a 26-item rating scale tapping the curricular emphasis and emotional climate of programs…

Providing a comprehensive overview, this guide to kindergarten screening was produced to aid Maine's school districts as they work to increase the effectiveness of their screening programs. Part 1, providing materials related to meeting the requirements of Maine's Education Reform Act of 1984, includes regulations pertaining to screening, a…

A preschool director designed an outdoor playground for 115 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers attending an early childhood center operated by a graduate theological seminary. Based on a review of the relevant literature on different aspects of outdoor play, the design reflected a playground that: (1) integrated outdoor play area with indoor…

An initial study revealed that kindergarten children in a developmentally inappropriate classroom exhibited significantly more stress behaviors than children in a developmentally appropriate classroom. Marginal gender differences were noted. Purposes of the study were to determine whether findings from the initial study would replicate if a larger…

This article: (1) profiles kindergarten policies and practices currently implemented in district schools; (2) analyzes the research supporting the major policy alternatives for six common kindergarten and school entry age issues that all school districts must address; and (3) identifies the optimum policy option alternative for each issue based on…

An early childhood resource teacher implemented a practicum intervention designed to improve the school attendance of at-risk kindergartners and first and second graders in a low-income, inner-city area in central Florida. The intervention involved the transformation of self-contained, graded classrooms into primary units comprised of multi-age…

The curriculum now being taught in many kindergartens is profoundly different from what it was two decades ago. The kindergarten classroom, once conceived of as a play- and group adjustment-oriented setting, may now also be a classroom with an "academic" approach, characterized by direct teaching of discrete skills with specific…

This book provides a constructivist interpretation of developmentally appropriate preschool and kindergarten curriculum, incorporating descriptions of how activities are transformed over time and how children's reasoning is transformed, and placing the interpretation in the context of the play-oriented approach advocated by the National…

Students will benefit from this unique preschool framework that integrates individually appropriate practices, literacy activities, play, and explicit instruction into content area lessons. Included are chapters on Oral language development; Phonological awareness; Early reading and writing; Print concepts; Instruction in content areas; and…

This paper examines the experience of Caribbean countries in striving to achieve quality in early childhood development programs. Part 1 reviews the needs of developing children and the dimensions of quality in early childhood programs intended to meet those needs. Included in the discussion is the use of Developmentally Appropriate Practice…

Given the social importance of math, science and technology knowledge, the importance of establishing competence in a subject area early, and the link between early experience and subsequent achievement, it is puzzling that math, science, and technology do not have greater prominence in the preschool curriculum. This paper reviews some of the…

Noting that high quality group care for infants and toddlers can enrich children's early experience and provide critical support to their families, this guide is designed to help caregivers and other interested parties in early care and education recognize and communicate the skills and knowledge needed to offer nurturing group care that supports…

This report discusses the identification and treatment of young children with autism. It is divided into four components that include a summary of areas that should be addressed when designing programs and services for young children with autism. The first part describes characteristics of autism, differences between autism-related disorders, and…

This handbook is designed to help readers understand the educational philosophy and practice of the PEACHES (Primary Explorations for Children and Educators in Science) and GEMS (Great Explorations in Math and Science) programs, and to assist in using GEMS/PEACHES teachers' guides in schools and child care centers. The handbook outlines techniques…

This final report describes the activities and outcomes of Project TIES (Towards Inclusion in Early Education), a federally funded demonstration model training program designed to enhance the abilities of child care providers and trainers to include young children, birth to five, with disabilities in developmentally appropriate child care…