This publication reflects the philosophy and support of the Bernard van Leer Foundation for early childhood care and development. It highlights different approaches to early childhood care and development and explains why the foundation believes that investing in early childhood is one of the best ways of building a brighter, better future. The…

This digest describes how foreign language instructors at Iowa State University of Science and Technology and Santa Clara University (California) have integrated the participation of native speakers from their communities into the curriculum in ways that allow students to practice their language skills and develop a heightened sense of cultural…

A model for evaluating a college second language writing instruction program is presented, based on experiences at the De La Salle University (Philippines) writing laboratory. The laboratory, a support unit of the university's language program, provides remedial instruction in composition and academic writing for referred students. The proposed…

This document is a compendium of information from 34 colleges and universities on freshman seminar/student success courses and their outcomes and how institutions are evaluating and reporting on these programs. Freshman seminars or success courses are courses for entering students that aim to ease the student's transition to the college…

This book represents a collection of over 60 articles appearing in SKOLE: the Journal of Alternative Education from 1985 through 1992 and focusing on educational reform and alternatives to public schooling. The journal was created 9 years ago in response to the growing number of families and educators dissatisfied with public schooling and to the…

A companion to a January 1993 nationwide teleconference entitled "A Nation's Challenge: Educating Substance-Exposed Children" and organized by the Florida Department of Education, this booklet provides educators with information and research on effective strategies for working with children affected by alcohol and other drugs. It also…

A study investigated the effectiveness of improvements in a Singapore graduate training program for elementary school teachers of English as a Second Language. Program changes focused on providing appropriate, constructive feedback to trainees about their teaching practice and developing trainees' skills of critical reflection. The report…

This book describes some of the activities of the Hanna Perkins School in Cleveland, Ohio, which was founded in 1950 to provide education and treatment for emotionally disturbed young children. Specifically, the book examines the experiences and findings of the Mother-Toddler Group, established at the school in 1985, which enrolls 6 toddlers and…

This study surveyed the nature and extent of exploratory programming in intermediate schools. A 22-item questionnaire was sent to all 285 of the state's middle and junior high schools. Of the 163 respondents, 160 indicated that they had some form of exploratory programming. The latter number included: (1) 155 schools with traditional exploratory…

This paper examines the development, implementation, and evaluation of the LAP Reading Program. The program sought to provide low-income, inner-city kindergarten children with "lap reading" experiences (having adults read aloud to them) to increase their interest in and knowledge of books and reading. The 10-week program initially contained 25…

This booklet discusses the origins and components of Head Start, a federal project launched in 1965 to help break the cycle of poverty by providing preschool children of low-income families with a comprehensive program to meet their emotional, social, health, nutritional, and psychological needs. The description of the program notes that in fiscal…

The result of a project that also developed a database of intergenerational child care program, this publication summarizes intergenerational child care programs in which adults age 55 or older provide child care services to infants, toddlers, and school-age children on a volunteer or salaried basis. Chapter 1 provides a rationale for…

By strengthening families' ability to nurture their children physically, emotionally, and intellectually, family support programs increase the likelihood that children will grow up healthy, safe, and successful. This report provides child advocates and others who work for children's well-being a clearer idea of what family support programs do, how…

This manual is a guide from the Montana State Library for libraries interested in setting up a family reading program with a multicultural theme. The purpose of a family reading program is to encourage reading and foster an enjoyment of reading among children and families. This manual contains an introduction which gives planning information,…

The Talk to a Literacy Learner (TTALL) program was developed in response to a New South Wales (Australia) government initiative, and is designed to focus on parents and the strategies they use to interact with their children as they read and write. An 8-week parent workshop on literacy development and a community tutor program trained selected…