The potential of music-making to foster an individual's social development has been widely explored. The objective of this review is twofold: (1) to examine the characteristics of group music-making initiatives aimed at promoting social skills; and (2) to analyse the impact that group music-making initiatives have on people's social development.…

Governments, schools, and communities throughout Australia are working to improve school attendance among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students using numerous strategies. Currently, however, little is known about the effectiveness of these strategies and the key factors which underpin programs and strategies which are successful. This…

Background on the development of early education for the handicapped in the Federal Republic of Germany and on legislative and financial factors is discussed as well as current practice in early intervention and preschool education. The state of professional training and research is indicated, as are the major issues reflected in recent…

The paper is a product of the 3-year project, "Functional Mainstreaming for Success," designed to develop a model for instructional mainstreaming of handicapped children (3-6 years old) in community settings. The paper reviews the literature defining "mainstreaming," notes that mainstreaming is not the wholesale return of exceptional students from…

Describes issues and problems inherent in educational intervention for impoverished children. Discusses responsibility for intervention programs with minority groups, assumptions underlying intervention efforts, questions regarding intervention, creation of a psychosocial theory, and tasks involved with future intervention efforts. (RJC)

The article reviews the literature on normal cognitive development and specific cognitive skills required for picture recognition in children 12 to 30 months old. Conclusions are drawn concerning appropriate presentation in designing software for a cognitively young population. (Author/DB)

The article reviews the literature on growth and development, home environmental measures, and their interrelationships with children who are visually impaired. Noted are measures which can aid parents and educators in determining the form that early intervention strategies should take. (Author/DB)

A review of components in the development and administration of effective preschool special education programs covers intraagency, agency, program, and staff administrative functions for preschool administrators, stressing the importance of linkage among duties. (CB)

Reviews "Head Start: The Inside Story of America's Most Successful Educational Experiment. (Edward Zigler and Susan Muenchow), an insider's account of the early days of the preschool program, and how the program emerged conceptually and politically. (HTH)

Interest in preschool programs appears to be increasing, but the experts continue to disagree over the value of such programs. This review of recent developments accomplishes the following: (1) looks at the popular acceptance of a school-sponsored, universal, voluntary, free, prekindergarten program in South Tama County, Iowa; (2) notes research…

The paper is a product of the 3-year project, "Functional Mainstreaming for Success," designed to develop a model for instructional mainstreaming of handicapped children (3-6 years old) in community settings. Evidence is presented of major competency deficiencies in both the pre-service and inservice training of regular teachers being asked to…

Responses of state education agencies (SEAs) are reported to questions on the effect of implementing P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. The following topics are briefly addressed (sample subtopics in parentheses): overview of the use of P.L. 94-142 funds (use of flow through funds); incidence and trends in due process…

Educational research cited in this paper suggests that the involvement of low socioeconomic status (SES) parents in the educational process has a positive influence on their children's academic achievement. At the preschool level, programs in which parents were instructed in ways to promote their children's intellectual development were found to…

This article describes a conceptual framework for developing a multifaceted, individualized treatment program for young children who stutter, their families, and their preschool or day-care staff. Suggestions are provided for reducing environmental demands through education, affective support, and behavior change facilitation. Direct therapy…

The paper provides a synthesis of "best practices" from the field of disability, which can be applied to develop exemplary early childhood special education programs. Exemplary programs are determined to be those providing services that are integrated, comprehensive, normalized, adaptable, peer- and family-referenced, and outcome-based.…