The problem of how to provide at least one year of preschool education for all Slovene children led to the development of the Slovene "Little School." Positive results, using a School Beginners Test with 118 "Little School" children proved that even short preschool programs were beneficial. (JH)

In 2000, PBS contracted with Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (MPR) to conduct a five-year evaluation of "Ready To Learn" outreach. The evaluation includes an impact study of the effects of "Ready To Learn" workshops on participating parents and early childhood educators, as well as on the preschool children in their care. Conducted in 20 "Ready…

The purpose of this tool kit is to provide guidance, tools, and resources that will assist communities in building culturally and linguistically competent services, supports, programs, and practices related to young children, their families. By offering services in culturally and linguistically meaningful ways, communities can engage all families…

This paper addresses four of the seven themes of the 2nd International Conference on the Teaching of Mathematics--research, technology, pedagogical innovation, and curricular innovation--from the point of view that learning mathematics is learning. Research from a variety of fields including education, neurobiology, and cognitive psychology…

While some educators have attributed early school failure to improper grade placement and thus advocate grade placement according to developmental age, others believe that early school failure is due to the lack of academic preparation for young children by their parents or by preschools. This paper examines related literature for empirical…

The Michigan School Readiness Program (MSRP), a state-initiated and state-funded preschool program, serves more than 20,000 four-year-olds identified as being at risk for school failure each year. A longitudinal evaluation followed 2 cohorts selected from 7 sites from kindergarten through Grade 3 for Cohort 1 and through Grade 2 for Cohort 2. Each…

This survey was designed to assess teachers' perspectives on student grade level preparedness. Specifically, it examines the kinds of problems that make it difficult to be a good student and how well prepared teachers feel they are to deal with these problems. As has been true since The MetLife Survey of the American Teacher began in 1984, more…

While the notion of starting education early with children has gained momentum in the public's mind, our public policies and investments still do not reflect society's increasing knowledge of how the human brain grows and how very early experiences beginning at birth affect a child's future. Arguing that if policymakers fail to include the needs…

Based upon the view that Arizona's future workforce cannot meet competitive demands if children are not ready to learn at school entry, the Arizona School Readiness Task Force examined ways to improve child care and early education. This report presents the task force findings and recommendations to improve learning opportunities. The report…

This study examined the impact of pupil age at time of school entry in a large public school in Bronx, New York. Results from a literacy assessment were examined for kindergarten, first-, and second-grade students. The assessment rated children on their knowledge of the alphabet, sight-word vocabulary, phonemic awareness, reading, and writing…

It is argued that cognitive/academic language proficiencies in first and second languages are interdependent and empirically distinguishable from interpersonal communication skills. This analysis is applied to the interpretation of data on the effects of bilingual education programs and on the age issue in second language learning. (PMJ)

This study examined factors contributing to poor literacy and numeracy development among black South African children ages 5.5 to 7 years. Findings pointed to a conglomerate of factors, namely inadequate visual-motor integration, poor visual analysis and synthesis, poor fine motor development, and inadequate exposure to mediated reading and…

Attempts to make sense of the complexity of mathematics teaching and its development at secondary school level. Conducts a partnership between teachers and researchers in U.K. schools and analyzes interactions between the teacher and students at whole class and small group level. Uses the teaching triad as an analytical device and reflective agent…

Describes a study that compared academic achievement indices of summer birth date seventh-ninth graders (n=45) who entered kindergarten at age five with indices of similar summer birth date children who entered at age six (n=45). All statistically significant differences favored older males and females, especially in reading for older males. (SM)

Contends that resistance is not adequately problematized in the critical pedagogy literature. Asserts that clarification is necessary to point out the multiple resistances in classrooms and their implications rather than situating resistance only with students and only in relation to social inequality or critical pedagogy. (16 citations) (VWC)