Many municipalities, armed with research showing the immense benefits of early education, are struggling to ensure children have the opportunity to attend quality preschools (Barnett, 2012; Magnuson, Ruhm, & Waldfogel, 2007). Birmingham, the largest city in Alabama, is no exception. In developing a profile of Birmingham's efforts to provide…

In Canada, as around the world, large numbers of Indigenous children encounter culturally dissonant learning environments in preschools and schools. Many of these children experience serious challenges, in part because of a striking mismatch between their early learning experiences in the family and community, and the expectations, perceptions,…

Presents a critical response to Bloom's thesis that all persons can learn if provided with appropriate prior and current conditions of learning. Unexamined assumptions regarding individual similarities are questioned. Logic supporting the thesis, practicality of the thesis, and unpursued implications are examined. (Author/DB)

Discusses the teacher's role in stimulating children's curiousity. Areas touched upon include teacher attitudes, teaching techniques, materials, readiness, abstract concepts, and time factors. (JMB)

Calls for new priorities in U.S. federal government that focus on children and deemphasize military spending. All government efforts to improve education will be worthless unless more attention and funding is devoted to children's readiness to learn. (LB)

Explores causes of nonlearning in young children, the problems of mechanical, unimaginative learning, and the differences between precocity and maturity. (ED)

Describes the typical kindergarten day as experienced by one child in the German-speaking region of Switzerland. Illustrates the main goal of kindergarten as preparing children for school rather than teaching reading, writing, or written numeracy. Focuses on the oral language learning approach incorporating teacher- and child-initiated activities.…

Examines three Swedish research projects concerning how reading and writing are viewed in the preschool context. Finds that linguistic awareness is a precondition, stimulating linguistic awareness fosters literacy development, linguistic awareness activities are common in preschools, and attitudes have changed about when and how young children…

Addresses the pressures of early academic learning among young children and presents parents with three guidelines for pursuing early learning experiences: readiness, observation, and options. (BB)

Presents guidelines for parents and teachers on preparing young children (3 to 8 years old) for a visit to the art museum. In preparing children for museum experiences, education for the art museum should be related to child development, begin long before entering a museum ("museum education"), and be sequential. (BB)

Research cited supports the conclusion that early childhood education should not be taken out of the home and placed in schools and day care centers. The risks of speeding up children's learning, the value of mothering and the contradictions between research and practical application are examined. (ST)

Provides rationale for using trade books rather than textbooks for instruction in content areas. Describes a specific teaching strategy, which includes readiness, reading, and responses for encouraging the development of thinking skills and independent learning. (DST)