A tool for early childhood professionals, this book describes developmentally appropriate practices for adults providing services to young children. Part 1 gives the position statement of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) on developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from…

Consistent in its approach to child development and caregiving concepts, this guide for parents and child caregivers explores aspects of family day care in five sections. Section I discusses the design of physically safe environments for children. Section II describes the developing likes and needs of infants, toddlers, preschool children, and…

Focusing on areas of development related to Chapter 53 screening, this manual is designed to assist New York City teachers in using the screening results to support optimal development for the children in their classes. Chapter 53 of the Laws of 1980 provides for the screening of all new entrants into the school system, usually in kindergarten or…

This document describes the early childhood services program in Alberta, Canada and its goals for accomplishment with children, within families, and in the community. Early Childhood Services (ECS), Alberta Education, is concerned with the provision of a coordinated system of local, regional, and provincial programs and services to meet the…

This practicum addressed the expressed need to improve the knowledge and expertise of the teaching staff employed at a child-parent center, which served 170 preschool and kindergarten children attending classes in an elementary school in an economically depressed community. Specifically, the in-service intervention aimed to immprove staff…

An aim of many students of human development is to penetrate behavioral variability in such a way as to reveal stable phenomena. This broad aim is challenged on numerous fronts when researchers study infant behavior, for students of infants are everywhere confronted with variability. But, in the context of research, variability of subjects'…

This critical analysis examines the claim that learning within the student's zone of proximal development is enhanced by "making connections to what the learner already knows." It is argued that Rogoff's and Gardner's use of Vygotsky's theory to explain learning in school-like tasks places primary emphasis on how the adult should connect…

These symposium papers report (1) collaboration between the University of Bath and the Preschool Playgroups Association to develop training materials for expanding parents' awareness of their preschool children's developmental needs and ways to meet them; and (2) the development and implementation of a community-based approach to early childhood…

Research findings are reported which depict characteristics and conditions of young adolescents in the 1980s. Discussion begins with an overview of what is known about the physical, socioemotional, and cognitive growth of young adolescents. It is argued that: (1) adults perpetuate many myths about teenagers; (2) adolescence is no more pathological…

Television's impact on children and the positive role of parents in moderating that impact is discussed in terms of: (1) the view that television has a largely negative impact on children; (2) the importance of television literacy; (3) ways in which parents are molding television's impact to their purposes; (4) variation in television's impact…

Research in staff development and in teacher career development provides useful information so that staff development programs can be tailored to accommodate teachers' needs at different career stages. Findings of studies on staff development have identified characteristics of successful inservice programs. Collaboration between all participants…

The Specials Projects (Innovations) Program of the Commonwealth Schools Commission in Australia was established to improve primary and secondary education by encouraging innovation and diversity in teaching through grants to individuals, usually teachers. This study focuses on the professional development of the teachers involved. Forty-five…

Discussion explores the role of guilt in depression, arguing that "how children come to view themselves as pervasively responsible for bad things that happen" is a key element in the social transmission of affect that involves guilt. "Guilt" basically is an adaptive emotion that involves thoughts of remorse or responsibility…

Discussed are: (1) historical and cultural backgrounds of the Japanese style of child rearing; (2) differences of child rearing style between Japan and the United States; (3) the hidden curriculum at school and home. Content explores the recent controversy in Japan over "Amae," or the Japanese infant's craving for close contact with its…

This paper discusses the content, theoretical context, and goals of elementary art and music education. The paper focuses on statements about teaching for understanding, higher order thinking, and problem solving. Part 1 addresses the historical and theoretical context of goals and practices in art and music education. Four currents of curriculum…