Intended for use with the Creative Curriculum for Early Childhood, this integrated ongoing student assessment toolkit, in Spanish, is designed for preschool teachers to help them focus on all aspects of a child's development, thereby giving them a way to ensure that all children in their classes are making progress. The assessment kit uses a…

Based on the view that young children have a different intellectual culture from adults' in the way they know and understand nature, this paper explores ecological human brain development, children's intellectual culture of naturalist intelligence, and developmentally and culturally congruent curricula for young children. The paper discusses the…

This paper provides an overview of the Maine Department of Education's "Foundations of Inclusive Education," a guide for early childhood professionals, families, and educators on implementing inclusive education for school and preschool children. A basic premise of the guide is that inclusive education is not a separate initiative for…

This book for caregivers and parents provides over 300 activities based on the developmental needs of infants, toddlers, and 2-year-olds. The book describes key developmental stages to assist caregivers in identifying developmentally appropriate activities. Following an introductory chapter, the book is organized by developmental domains. Each…

Identifying the voluntary activities, programs, and services that children and families use during students' out-of-school time as primary supports, this self-study guide provides a framework for developing primary support programs that allow school-aged children and adolescents to develop physical, cognitive, social, and emotional skills. The…

This practicum was designed to increase the literacy growth of kindergarten students through the use of developmentally appropriate emergent literacy practices. The kindergarten language arts curriculum did not meet the diverse literacy needs of the kindergarten students. The goal of the practicum was to meet the diverse literacy needs of the…

Discusses sexuality as encompassing all areas of children's development. Suggests ways to use contextual situations to discuss body functions, body parts, and reproduction to foster healthy understandings of sexuality as children develop. Includes descriptions of best practices in early childhood education matched with developmental expectations…

Argues that use of theme-based curricula for preschool children is developmentally appropriate, provides an integrated approach to teaching and learning, enhances learning, and yields high levels of achievement. Provides supporting data from brain research and learning psychology. Includes a sample thematic unit and guidance for creating thematic…

Details five standards, from preschool through middle school, present in successful programs for students at risk of academic failure: joint productive activity, language and literacy across the curriculum, contextualization, challenging activities, and instructional conversation. Compares NAEYC's developmentally appropriate practices to the…

Summarizes recent ERIC documents and journal articles, and highlights some World Wide Web resources that describe, evaluate, or compare various curricula or instructional methods, such as Creative Curriculum, High/Scope, the Montessori Method, Waldorf Schools, and Direct Instruction. (Author)

Describes an activity in the "Scuola Neruda" in Reggio Emilia, Italy in which 5-year-olds create a school play area for 4-year-olds that will remain as a contribution of their class, focusing on how this gift is a gesture of reciprocity, and therefore truly creative. Recounts a child's selection of a location for her sculpture to…

Recommends a comprehensive and developmentally based school counseling program to assist middle school students in developing their educational, social, career, and personal strengths. Describes a sequential, flexible, competency-based, inclusive, integrated and proactive counseling program. Structural components addressed and detailed include…

Advocates the use of literacy routines within the caregiving or learning environment to promote emergent literacy. Presents suggestions for literacy routines for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers to build competencies that serve as the groundwork for reading, writing, speaking, viewing, and listening. Suggests that teachers, parents, and other…

Examines early childhood teachers' knowledge of developmentally appropriate practices related to academic degrees, supervised practical experience, content areas of child development and early childhood education courses taken, and years of employment in child care or education. (BB)

Describes ways in which well-intentioned efforts to protect young children from inappropriate school practices have had the opposite effect. Readiness testing, retention, transition classes, tracking, and increased entrance age are discussed. Alternative strategies are proposed. (BB)