The purpose of this manual is to promote the inclusion of special needs children in child care environments by applying an eight-step process of training, mentoring, and evaluating. The material in the manual covers approximately 6 months of enabling experiences for child care center owners and directors preparing to include special needs children…

This collection of essays reflects the notion that perceptions of children and childhood shape approaches to education and child rearing. The essays include: (1) "The Child Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow," on how children have been regarded throughout recorded history; (2) "Piaget and Montessori in the Classroom," examining the…

Universities must be prepared to provide quality child care not only to accommodate their changing student population, but also to help attract and retain competent and dedicated employees. Campus child care programs should be: (1) models to the community, to early education specialists, to parents, and to policymakers; (2) an integral part of the…

This summary provides a record of the proceedings of a workshop series and Wingspread Conference that were part of a series of events relating to child and family policy issues sponsored by the National Forum on the Future of Children and Families. Chapter 1 introduces the issues related to young children and academic achievement. Chapter 2…

This paper discusses the application of the Montessori method as an intervention for children at risk for learning disabilities. A review of the literature provides background information about the philosophy and history of Montessori methods, and considerations relevant to at-risk children. Described are techniques of the Montessori method,…

This practicum was designed to provide an assessment instrument that would serve as an alternative method of documenting the progress of kindergarten students. The portfolio approach to assessment of student progress was implemented in a kindergarten class and applied as an ongoing process. During a 12-week period, teacher and student selected…

Most early care and education teachers are not required to have attained a bachelor's degree (BA) prior to working with young children. Because of the research base demonstrating that teachers with a BA specifically related to early childhood play an integral role in the provision of high-quality early care and education, there have been…

This position statement for administrators, teachers, providers, and caregivers for young children discusses developmentally appropriate guidance techniques for children from birth to 8 years of age. The seven principles discussed are: (1) Children are in the process of learning acceptable behavior; (2) An effective guidance approach is preventive…

This program advisory provides direction to school districts and providers of preschool and early primary programs in California who are implementing the recommendations of the School Readiness Task Force Report, "Here They Come: Ready or Not!" The Task Force Report addressed the issue of what kind of education would be necessary during…

Information presented in this paper was used as a rationale for implementing a developmentally appropriate primary education program in the Redwood City School District, Redwood City, California. The purpose of the paper was to emphasize the need for intensifying the entry level program for students in order to insure a successful school…

This report discusses the services disadvantaged children need to prepare for school, the extent to which they receive these services from early childhood centers (defined as providing child development, parent, and health and nutrition services), and the reasons early childhood centers may not deliver all the services these children need. Chapter…

Universities in Florida, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota have been collaborating in an effort to implement a pedagogical model for early childhood teacher education that helps prospective teachers identify their own cultural and ethnic backgrounds and to understand cultural diversity while helping them learn to be sensitive to the cultural…

This paper provides an overview of the impact of television on young children, with a special emphasis on the relationship among TV, childhood, and violence, and on developmentally appropriate television. Further, the paper provides strategies for parents and early childhood educators to use in taking control of the television. The paper is…

The Task Force on Children's Learning and the Arts: Birth to Age Eight guides the development of arts-based early childhood programs and resources, and links the arts to the literacy of young children. This document presents examples of activities, programs, research, and resources that exemplify each of three guiding principles related to: the…

Noting that children's early mathematics experience is a significant factor in their future mathematics outcomes and attitudes, this paper discusses the importance of developmentally appropriate practices in mathematics instruction for young children and explores how teachers' pedagogical content knowledge determines their teaching practices in…