The present study explored the association between the structural quality of child care, caregivers' sensitive responsiveness, children's involvement in play and activity in the setting, and children's expression of aggression. Eighty-four early childhood care settings were classified into either high (29) or low structural quality (55) based on…

Purpose: Research indicates that delayed motor development observed in the first years of life can be prevented through compensatory intervention programmes that provide proper care during this critical period of child development. Method: This study analysed the impact of a 12-week compensatory motor intervention programme on 32 babies with…

The acquisition of everyday scientific concepts by 3-6-year-old children attending early childhood institutions has been widely studied. In contrast, research on science learning processes among younger children is less extensive. This paper reports on findings from an exploratory empirical study undertaken in a "stay and play" service…

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of story time and reading stories on the development of toddlers' social and emotional skills between 24 and 36 months of age. A sample of 10 toddlers was randomly selected from three different classes at the laboratory nursery of The University of Jordan. A pre-test and post-test were…

This quasi-experimental study examined expressive vocabulary outcomes for Parent-Child Home Program (PCHP) toddlers, after one year of home-visiting services. First, this study applied Rasch modelling to establish the construct validity and reliability of a widely used expressive vocabulary measure, as modified for a sample of ethnic and…

The physical environment of the preschool programmes has been proven to affect both children's overall development and the quality of the programme. However, both nationally and internationally the contribution of the physical environment in the effectiveness of a programme and in the achievement of educational goals is often overlooked. The aim…

The purpose of this study was to develop a book sharing intervention to support the language development of infants and toddlers from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Low-income parents were engaged in a collaborative inquiry to develop "Little Talks." Parents were assigned to three small groups that independently…

Objective: Children from low-income families are often not well-prepared for kindergarten entry, especially in mathematical skills. Caregivers may lack the knowledge and confidence to teach early mathematical skills. The purpose of this study was to develop a parent-child activities-based mathematics learning programme and test its acceptability…

The marked delay in acquisition of fine motor skills in trisomic-21/Down's syndrome children is undeniable. In this study, we began with an affirmation that the cause of this deficit could be found in a different environment for which early intervention is essential. A sample of 30 Down's syndrome children was used to study at different ages: six…

Discusses seven important criteria of successful infant/toddler child care programs. Criteria include: (1) positive interpersonal relationships; (2) a sound philosophical base; (3) clear delineation of policies and procedures; (4) good staff selection, planning, and development; (5) feedback to parents; (6) a strong support base; and (7)…

Presents an individual model of quality child care in which infant-caregiver, parent-caregiver, and peer relationships are central features. The model considers the influence of precare differences and the effect of program characteristics and standards on the well-being of children, parents, and caregivers. (MM)