These two specialists in early childhood education, on the basis of extensive research, question the assumption that group day care necessarily will provide all of the experiences a child needs. (AJ)

This paper explores the role of physical environment in the design of child care programs. Examined are environmental variables thought to be important in determining the absence or presence of experiences considered important to children's development. Differences in the physical environment of a typical child care center and an average home are…

Differences among day care environments and factors related to these differences are examined. Also, the probable effectiveness of group day care in meeting the developmental needs of children is discussed. Chapters I and II give the rationale and procedures of the study. Chapter III provides a description of patterns of teacher behavior and…

The purpose of this study was to describe fully day care programs, to find factors predictive of differences in programs, and to evaluate the effectiveness of day care centers. Teachers in 50 randomly selected day care centers in Los Angeles were observed for four 20-minute periods daily for 10 days. The results indicated the following points:…

This paper presents a discussion of the effect of the physical environment on children receiving day care services. Various dimensions of the physical environment which may affect the well-being of infants, preschool and school age children in group or family day care settings are examined. The focus is on the overall well-being and development of…