Children's language development is a core task in Swedish preschool and central to how educators organize teaching and everyday activities. The curriculum's definition of language is described as extended, with language as both a prerequisite for learning and a learning effect, i.e. both internal processes and communication. This means that…

Educational pioneers believed that the early childhood curriculum was inappropriate for most of the children. It needed to be modified to meet each child's maturing needs, abilities, and interests. The pioneers advocated that education should be more hands-on and assist children to function successfully in society. They recommended the initiation…

Understanding the characteristics of preschool-age children is an important and first step for supporting children's healthy development and school readiness. Children may show different developmental features and come different social, socio-cultural background; however, they are in the same age. Reaching of education at a desired level will be…

Read It Again (RIA) is a curriculum for pre-kindergarten (pre-K) classrooms that targets children's development of language and literacy skills. A cluster randomized trial was conducted in which 104 pre-K classrooms in the Appalachian region of the United States were randomly assigned to one of three study conditions: Control (n = 30), RIA only…

This study examined infant educators' beliefs about infant language development in the context of early childhood classrooms. Participants were 59 educators who were employed to work directly with under-two-year-old children. Educators were interviewed to determine their understandings of infant language development and Grounded Theory qualitative…

The authors show how teachers can use nature explorations as a personal guide in implementing early learning standards. They describe five outdoor experiences of children in age groups ranging from 20 months to 5 years. A chart specifies which of the Nebraska state learning guidelines and Creative Curriculum goals the experiences meet, across the…

This report presents a revision of the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework (2000), renamed The Head Start Child Development and Learning Framework: Promoting Positive Outcomes in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children 3-5 Years Old. The Framework outlines the essential areas of development and learning that are to be used by Head Start programs…

The present language study, carried out by the University of Victoria and the Department of Indian Affairs during the summer of 1968, was based on the Deutsch "cumulative deficit hypothesis." (This theory has as one of its bases the idea that the lack of appropriate language stimulation in early home and school life makes success in…

This day care center, operated by Syracuse University and serving 100 children (birth to 3-year-old), admits only one child per family. The child must be the first or second child in a family where both parents have high school education or less and earn less than $5,000 per year. The program philosophy maintains that quality day care must carry…

The Cognitively Oriented Preschool was implemented in West Chester, Pennsylvania as a special program to meet the needs of the increasing numbers of disadvantaged children moving into the area. This report describes the program as it was implemented, including specific daily activities as well as the various kinds of curricula used. Also included…

Presents six articles on brain research and child development: "Brain Research, Infant Learning, and Child Care Curriculum" (J. R. Lally); "The Thinking Brain" (P. Schiller); "Early Experiences Shape Social Development" (B. Caldwell); "Facing the Challenge of Motor Development" (P. Weikart); Language…

As part of a larger Slovene longitudinal study on the impact of the preschool institution on the child's development and his or her school achievements, effects of the age at entry to preschool on children's language were explored. The sample included 82 children, who were divided into two groups depending on their age at entry to the preschool…

This monograph describes the curriculum of the child development center of the Early Childhood-Special Education Teacher Preparation Program. The center provides a model preschool program in which teacher trainees work with children, ages 2-6, (several of whom have developmental deficiencies). The curriculum is designed to help teacher trainees…

Noting that whereas British primary schools are admirable, provision of preschool education is uneven, this book examines the questionable changes brought on by recent government policies, and the consequences of those changes, enjoining policymakers to change their attitude toward early childhood education and improve the mesh between nursery and…

A Piagetian day care curriculum for infants and toddlers is presented. Six chapters, divided by developmental stage from birth to 24 months of age, discuss developmental characteristics of the child, suggest tasks for the caregiver to enhance social/emotional growth and language development, and describe appropriate games and activities.…