Studies confirm the educational advantages and cost-effectiveness of high-quality early childhood programs and have made more persuasive the argument for developing such programs. The most important determinants of such programs are: group size, qualifications and training of staff, stability of care, and adult-child ratio. (MD)

The Marzano thinking skills model (emphasizing learning preparation, content thinking, and basic reasoning skills) will enhance learning opportunities for students whom the present system overlooks or labels unteachable. Schools can restructure teaching and evaluation methods to educate all young people for a successful future in the information…

This paper declares war against the miseducation of young children, who learn best through direct encounters rather than through formalized inculcation of symbolic rules. A variety of socioeconomic forces (including the civil rights and women's movements) are forcing preschoolers into learning environments originally designed for school-age…

Described is a search for optimum child rearing practices in a seven-child Russian family over a period of 16 years. Intellectual development, creative ability, and physical development are discussed. Results indicate positive effects of early physical and mental stimulation. (Author/DB)

In order to better establish baseline information on the social, physical, linguistic, and cognitive skills of children entering Maryland kindergartens, the state selected the Work Sampling System (WSS), a component of the Maryland Model for School Readiness, as the early childhood assessment system for evaluating entering kindergartners' skills…

The most important thing that parents can do to help their children become ready to read and to learn is to read aloud to them. This brief provides guidance for parents in facilitating their child's emerging abilities. Suggestions for parents include talking with infants and young children before they learn to read, setting aside a reading time…

A number of preschool and kindergarten assessment systems are being put into place across the nation, with a variety of purposes and collection methods. The "Assessing the State of State Assessments" symposium was convened to provide an opportunity for persons working most closely with state assessment systems to identify common…

The intent of this study was to determine if attendance in a good quality prekindergarten program using developmentally appropriate activities had a positive effect on kindergarten mathematics readiness skills and achievement. Participating were 80 children, 4 to 6 years old, divided into two experimental and two control groups. Standardized test…

Although many studies show that children who have rich early childhood experiences are better prepared for academic learning in school, many kindergarten teachers report that a large, and growing, number of children are not ready to learn when they arrive for their first day of school. This booklet, directed to parents, provides information on the…

Describes one teacher's numerous approaches for expanding the vocabularies and fostering positive self-concepts and attitudes toward school among the three linguistically very different groups of children in her classroom. (TO)

This review includes investigations and discussions of the teaching of reading in a multi-cultural society. An annotated bibliography follows the completed review of the literature. (Author)

Findings suggest that the child who is curious, alert, and assertive will learn more from his environment and that the child who is passive, apathetic, and withdrawn will learn less about his environment because of his diminished contact. (Authors)