What kind of environmental and administrative factors support the balance between child-centred and teacher-directed practices in the early childhood classroom? What specific aspects of children's development are nurtured by this pedagogy? These and other pedagogical issues are addressed in this article as it describes how a particular curriculum…

Claims that early childhood education programs in Australia have been dominated by ideas and practices introduced from elsewhere and only in recent years have alternative paradigms existed. Provides an overview of the development of early childhood programs in Australia, describes the context in which early childhood education curriculum has…

Claims that kindergarten curriculum in Taiwan reflects both traditional Chinese values and the cultural changes that have taken place in modern times. Introduces the country's social context and changes in cultural values that have occurred due to multiculturalism. Points out that kindergarten curriculum now emphasizes cognitive development and is…

The goal of the present study is to explore the use of developmentally appropriate practices in Asian Indian early childhood classrooms. This information is critical for all early childhood educators and teacher educators because the society we live in is fast becoming extremely diverse and our classrooms are becoming a cauldron of various…

Suggests that Korea's cultural changes and trends are reflected in the country's kindergarten curriculum. Provides an overview of traditional Korean early childhood education and the historical evolution of kindergarten curriculum. Discusses the modern national kindergarten curriculum and its relationship to Korean culture and concludes that…

Introduces three philosophical issues to consider when developing curriculum for mentally retarded children: (1) the role of content versus learning processes and teaching methodology in curriculum decisions; (2) the principle of normalization and its implications; and (3) the child's right to choice in curriculum content. (DST)

Provides a brief history of Japanese early childhood education. Explains that the kindergarten idea came from Western countries and was adapted to Japanese society by the Ministry of Education and by Christian missionaries. Presents examples of these adaptations in the Japanese translations of Froebel's books as well as in the development of…

Addresses the following aspects of context: multidisciplinary perspectives and definitions of context, contextual shifts between the home and the school, contextual factors involved in the process of learning to write, and pedagogical implications for curriculum development. (CB)

Presents theoretical background for building an early childhood curriculum based on the Educare approach. Five principles are explained. They emphasize that learning drives development and that social interaction, interpersonal relationships, mutual understanding, and culture are unique in developmental processes. Concludes that teachers can have…