In June 1990, the state of Kentucky passed its innovative Education Reform Act, which totally restructured the finance, governance, and curriculum of its public schools. One of the major provisions of the act was the mandate for Kentucky's primary schools to change from the traditional placement of children of the same age in kindergarten, first, second, and third grades to the placement of youngsters in multi-age, multi-ability classrooms. The resulting primary program recognizes that children grow and develop as a "whole," not one dimension at a time or at the same rate in each dimension. The instructional practices of the primary program address social, emotional, physical, aesthetic, and cognitive needs. The program flows naturally from preschool programs and exhibits developmentally appropriate practices. The philosophy of the primary program stresses a classroom climate that is non-competitive and encourages children to learn from one another as well as from the teachers. The program nurtures the continuing growth of children's knowledge and understanding of themselves and their world in a safe, caring, stimulating environment where the child grows and learning flourishes. This book describes Kentucky's primary program, focusing on the seven critical attributes of the program. Those attributes are: (1) developmentally appropriate educational practices; (2) multi-age and multi-ability classrooms; (3) continuous progress; (4) authentic assessment; (5) qualitative reporting methods; (6) professional teamwork; and (7) positive parent involvement. References are included with each chapter. (TJQ)