Kindergarten has changed significantly in the last two decades: children now spend more time being taught and tested on literacy and math skills than they do learning through play and exploration, exercising their bodies, and using their imaginations. Many kindergartens use highly prescriptive curricula geared to new state standards and linked to…

This report is intended to inform policymakers, administrators, and teachers regarding the development of standards or benchmarks addressing language and literacy skills in prekindergarten programs. The report notes that although standards and benchmarks can bring clarity to what should be expected of young children, there are challenges in…

Noting that understanding the contexts, continuities, and controversies of early childhood education is a particularly challenging task because of the diversity of the field, this book provides a critical examination of the issues and controversies surrounding early childhood practices, policies, and professional development. The book's chapters…

This publication discusses the nongraded primary education block mandated by the Kentucky General Assembly to take effect during the 1992-93 school year. In particular, the publication considers the framework for the implementation of the nongraded program in a central Kentucky cluster of school districts. An overview of the history of public…

The rapid growth of information and communication technologies (ICT) has prompted concerns among parents, educators, and policymakers over the suitability of many educational applications and electronic toys for young children. This book provides information on how children from birth to age 6 develop an early awareness--and subsequently develop…

This paper discusses major issues having to do with definition of terms and implementation strategies implicit in the first national education goal, which states: "By the year 2000, all children in America will start school ready to learn." The principles articulated in the paper by a collaboration of agencies and the private sector are…

A curriculum is a repertoire of learning experiences, planned and organized according to the program's educational goals. The curriculum development process of early childhood education differs in many ways from that of other levels of education. Intended for curriculum planners, education policy-makers and other early childhood education…

This book brings together the combined wisdom of a diverse group of experts involved with early childhood mathematics. The book originates from the landmark 2000 Conference on Standards for Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten Mathematics Education, attended by representatives from almost every state developing standards for young children's…

A 5-year qualitative study of implementation of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) analyzes the effects on four rural school districts of large-scale changes in state policy. This annual report of the project focuses on five key KERA "strands." First, KERA mandates that grades K-3 be replaced with an ungraded primary program…

Nongraded education is the practice of teaching children of different ages and ability levels together in the same classroom, without dividing them or the curriculum into steps labeled by "grade" designations. Children progress along the continuum from easier to more difficult material at their own, varying rates of speed. Interest in nongraded…

Noting that young adolescents--around 10 to 15 years of age--undergo significant emotional, social, intellectual, and physical changes, this book serves as a reference for parents, educators, and policymakers concerned with education that meets the unique needs of the student population. The five sections of the book cover the historical and…

Noting that understanding the contexts, continuities, and controversies of early childhood education is especially challenging because of the diversity in the field, this book provides a critical examination of the issues and controversies surrounding early childhood practices, policies, and professional development. Following an introduction…

The National Research Council formed a Committee on Educational Interventions for Children with Autism and charged the committee with integrating the scientific, theoretical, and policy literature and creating a framework for evaluating the scientific evidence concerning the effects and features of educational interventions for young children with…