In an effort to improve learning for young children and respond to preschool fade out, some districts are working on "PreK-3" initiatives to create better connected learning pathways for children. In these pathways, primary grades continue to build on what children learn in preschool; they also present potential implementation challenges…

This study points to ways in which the amount and complexity of teacher talk in two preschool classrooms during transitions between activities differed from instructional activity settings throughout the day. What emerged were language characteristics that suggest not all transitions are created equal. In fact, as shown by qualitative excerpts of…

Transitions between two educational settings can bring about new experiences and expectations for children and their families. In the early care and education (ECE) context, when children transition from Head Start to kindergarten, they are confronted with different places, people, activities, and relationships. This transition also occurs between…

P-16 education is an integrated system of education stretching from early childhood through a 4-year college, emphasizing continuity of student learning and alignment across school levels. It seeks to address problems with the present educational system, considering, for example, that "A" students in high-poverty schools score at the…

The West Virginia Early Childhood Transition Initiative is an interagency systems change effort started in 1993 to develop a seamless system of service for children, ages birth to 5 years. The initiative's training and technical assistance component is known as Operation Tadpole. A state level steering committee coordinates the initiative on an…

Recognizing that children who experience continuity as they enter formal education are more likely to sustain their earlier gains than children who do not experience continuity, this document provides guidelines for preschool, Head Start, and elementary teachers and administrators on transition procedures. An executive summary begins the document.…

Presents ideas from the book, "Developmental Continuity: From Preschool through Primary Grades." Developmental continuity is a way of providing instruction that permits children to progress according to their rate and style of learning. Curriculum approaches, classroom organization, and ways to begin are discussed. (LB)

Suggests that experimental studies are valuable in analyzing children's language development. Criticizes the scarcity of experimental and naturalistic investigation into preschool language development. Calls for long-term study of continuity and discontinuity in children's school and home learning and between different school stages. Observes that…

Public education begins with kindergarten for most children, but an estimated 1 million prekindergarten children are also in public schools, and the number is increasing. In December 1997, the National Institute on Early Childhood Development and Education in the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement…

Examined the ages of children and developmental domains covered by state early learning standards and degree to which they are linked to state K-12 standards. Found that 39 states have or are developing state early learning standards, the majority addressing expectations for 3- to 5-year-olds. Found little guidance on adapting standards for…

Details a three-pronged approach to education used in the preschool through secondary level at St. John's School in India: developing students' human resources potential, introducing students to emerging technologies, and making conventional education interesting and meaningful. Describes the use of synergy meetings in which staff learn to know…

This booklet provides a variety of ideas for preschool and kindergarten teachers and administrators interested in working cooperatively to establish linkages and ease the transition between educational settings for young children and their families. Benefits of facilitating transition for children, parents, and teachers and keys to successful…

Theoretical implications of individual differences among infants in responsiveness to visual novelty being predictive of later intelligence differences are discussed. Issues discussed include: continuity of intelligence over development, relation of aspects of information processing to intelligence, role of hereditary and environmental influences…

Examines the current policy context in early childhood education in England and Wales. Clarifies some of the tensions and contradictions inherent in current conceptions of progression and continuity, drawing on perspectives from theory, policy, and practice. Identifies three key areas of research that would advance development of theories of…

Described in this documentary report are the school lives of seven children and their approaches to learning over a period of 5 years. Chapter 1 presents short introductory vignettes. Each child illustrates a distinctive mode or approach to learning: formalist/traditionalist, reasoner/problem-solver, patterner/adapter, mapper/explorer,…