This article explores how three well-known conceptual frameworks view child development and how they assume particular figurations of the child in the context of the South African National Curriculum Framework for Children from Birth to Four. This new curriculum is based on a children's rights framework. The capability approaches offer important…

Children's school readiness as they enter kindergarten is an important predictor of their academic success and ultimately their long-term health and economic outcomes. Research shows that participation in high-quality early childhood education helps preschoolers gain the foundational language and literacy skills as well as the social-emotional…

A preschool child who is healthy and ready to learn demonstrates the ability to regulate their behavior and emotions, key social and emotional competencies, motor skills, health, and early learning skills. Because healthy development across these domains is more challenging for some children than for others, it is valuable to understand which…

Head Start promotes school readiness by enhancing the physical, social, and cognitive development of children through educational, health, nutritional, social, and other services. Head Start centers are where services are provided in communities that are generally lacking infrastructures that support early learning. As a result, it is imperative…

Chapin Hall has been conducting an implementation and evaluability study of the ECCI (Early Childhood Cluster Initiative) project since the midway point of its first year. As described in the authors' first report (Spielberger & Goyette, 2006), the initiative made considerable progress in its initial year, particularly in implementing the…

Interviews with professionals, a literature search, and a parent survey indicated that parents of toddlers had a need for knowledge about child development. This lack of knowledge was believed to be one factor in the reported use of non-effective discipline techniques, with the linking factor identified as unrealistic expectations. For this…

This report reviews the status of early childhood education (ECE) programs in UNICEF's Middle East and North Africa region. The report compiles information about ECE programs in 18 countries based on a questionnaire sent to UNICEF country offices and other sources. The introduction sets out the economic and social rationales for investing in early…

A nationwide program to provide teenagers with opportunities to develop more positive attitudes about children and parenting, to improve self-awareness and self-understanding, and to increase knowledge and skills related to child care and development formed the basis for a survey compiled by voluntary organizations serving teenagers. Nonrandomized…

For more than a decade, Florida's Palm Beach County has been building an infrastructure of prevention and early intervention services to promote and support the healthy development and school readiness of children from birth to age 8. The county began this effort with a set of programs focused on serving families in four targeted geographic areas…

Based on on-site review team visits conducted during spring 1982, this report evaluates the Educational Campus Child Development Centers (CCDC's) operating at 9 to the 10 campuses in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD). After introducing the evaluation project and its participants, the report outlines the educational philosophy of…

The Comprehensive Services Program of Palm Beach County, Florida, was an ambitious and innovative effort to improve the school readiness of low-income children in Palm Beach County by identifying needs early and providing early intervention services to support physical, cognitive, and emotional health and development. Services were delivered to…

This report summarizes Year One and Year Two study findings and describes findings from Year Three of the assessment of school readiness with a strategic sample of children entering kindergarten in fall 2004. It is the intent of the Minnesota School Readiness Studies to use results to inform school administrators and teachers; parents; early…

An evaluation of a prekindergarten program was conducted to assess its merit and to assist in the formative revision of program activities. The program operated in a public elementary school in a rural area close to a metropolitan area. Classroom observations, telephone interviews with 25 parents, surveys of 2 elementary school teachers, and…

Since its inception in 1985, the effectiveness and quality of the Michigan School Readiness Program (MSRP), the state's early childhood education program for 4-year-olds at risk of school failure, have never been evaluated. This report details the first evaluation findings for 1995-97. The program is comprised of a child development program for…

The Great Lakes Resource Access Project (Region V RAP) serves Head Start programs in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The Region V RAP conducts an annual needs assessment to determine the training and technical assistance needs of the Head Start Disability Services Coordinators. A survey for assessing needs for the…