Four basic models that are used to account for the discrepancies in educational and intellectual attainment between minority groups and the dominant culture are outlined. These are the Deficit Model, the School-as-Failure Model, the Cultural Difference Model, and the Social Structure Model. Four studies relating to the impact of preschool…

From the academic--or instructivist--perspective, the young child is seen as dependent on adults' instruction in the academic knowledge and skills necessary for a good start for later academic achievement. This perspective is in direct contrast to the active and interactive curriculum assumed by proponents of the constructivist approach. This…