It is widely accepted that within certain biological limits, a child's development emerges out of a continuous and increasingly complex interaction with significant people in his or her environment. Mothers and other significant adults, as experienced members of the culture, may be viewed as mediators and tutors who transmit cultural knowledge and…

"Reaching the Goals" is a series of eight books designed to inform people involved in education reform, or people who want to be involved, of the myriad of programs and resources that are available from the Federal Government to support each of the National Education Goals defined in 1990. This first book is dedicated to Goal 1,…

This report presents an evaluation of a Title I preschool program which served 403 children during the 1973-74 school year, and was designed to prepare disadvantaged 4-year-olds for entry into kindergarten. In terms of instructional approach, the program closely followed Piagetian theory and included preservice and inservice teacher training. The…

Among the prescriptions for improving children's school readiness is a call for television to lead the way through the provision of ready-to-learn programing and services for the nation's preschoolers. No single element of a national ready-to-learn service will have a greater impact on its effectiveness than the programing it airs. Three…

Noting that the latest messages communicated to the public about the learning problems of American children emphasize children's lack of social maturity and premature school entry, this book examines the many complex issues surrounding school readiness and entry. The 15 chapters are divided into 4 sections. The first section includes an…

This appendix includes seven papers which focus on various aspects of the learning processes of children ages 5-7: (1) S. Thompson, "Transitions to concrete operations: A survey of Piaget's writings" (in outline form); (2) S. H. White, "Changes in learning processes in the late preschool years," an examination of cross-cultural…

A learning model is designed to provide underprivileged children, aged 2 to 5, with opportunities and experiences to help develop academic skills, develop a positive self-image, develop confidence in capability to achieve, and provide essential physical necessities. Evaluation of the preschool educational system indicates that the program provides…

Describes the effects of one community's concept of readiness for school on children in a kindergarten class. Of particular interest was the effect on children's understanding of their roles as students. The concept of readiness provided the framework for instructional activities and helped parents understand their children's roles as students.…

A paradigm for learning economic concepts based on cognitive development and learning theory is offered as a guideline for teaching and research. Discussion is divided into two sections. The first section establishes the model's theoretical framework, which is based on two propositions. The first of these is that economic knowledge is not a fixed…

This combined text and manual presents the basic educational viewpoint of the Gesell Institute, that children should be entered in school (and consequently grouped and promoted) on the basis of their developmental or behavioral age, not on the basis of their chronological age or IQ. The introduction describes the research in which the Institute…

This paper describes the scope and findings of a separately published comprehensive review of research on optimum age of entry into first grade, covering the literature from 1915 to 1976. (Not included was research on reading, the gifted, mentally retarded, and materials in popular journals.) Findings noted the inadequacy of chronological age as a…

The Parent Teacher Kindergarten Student Assessment instrument (PTKSA) described here was developed over a 4-year period and used extensively at each stage of its revision, with the goal of evolving a feasible and sensitive pre-primary pupil profile or early childhood education inventory. Intended for use by both parents and teachers at the…

In response to California Legislation that would change the cut-off for the minimum 5-year entrance age from December 2 to September 1, this paper reviews the literature discussing the appropriate age for beginning school. The review includes a brief history of kindergarten and its place in California law; discusses the possible impact of the…

Discusses student learning behavior in two history classes. Suggests that many students do not understand the culture of college and inadvertently violate simple rules for success. Asserts that many students lack the knowledge of how to be successful in an academic environment and would benefit from a course serving as an "On-The-Job Professional…

This publication is part of a package of three booklets that synthesize current knowledge about the preconditions for learning in children and discuss ways of fostering these conditions. (The other two booklets are an executive summary of this report and a collection of five vignettes on services for infants, toddlers, and families). This report…