Early childhood care and education (ECCE) has a crucial contribution to the future life of children, and overall quality of learning and development of a country. Even though there are no well-established international criteria to evaluate the quality of ECCE programmes because of the variability in nations' economies, workforces, political…

There is growing community and policy interest in educational efforts among children and young people to address pornography. Education on pornography increasingly is seen as a necessary strategy in the context of young people's widespread exposure to pornography and the potential shifts in young people's sexual and gendered lives and relations…

Studies of seven school-sponsored programs conducted by the Harvard Family Research Project and the National Association of State Boards of Education found various innovative approaches to early childhood education. This article describes four major success strategies: organizing an early childhood unit; creating child-centered classrooms;…

Alexandria (Virginia) Community Network Preschools is a private, nonprofit preschool system that serves over 125 low-income children and their families. Network Preschools follow the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation's principles for a superior early-childhood curriculum. The four schools use developmentally appropriate practices, enable…

This digest discusses issues related to the implementation of high quality early childhood education by public school districts. Contents focus on: (1) the development of a written statement of philosophy; (2) the analysis of screening and assessment practices; (3) organization of the learning environment; (4) teacher preparation; (5) parent…

Advocates that the design and implementation of an early childhood unit in public elementary schools must be adapted to young children's unique needs. Such adaptation can occur by means of developmentally appropriate programs that require proper training for school administrators and staff, program accountability, and promotion of parent and…

This paper describes The Toledo Museum of Art Early Childhood Program, a program that promotes knowledge and appreciation of art by young children and their families. The program supports the interactionist philosophy of early childhood education, which focuses on developmentally appropriate instruction. In interactionism, the major emphasis is on…

Emphasizing strong partnerships with family and community, the School-Based Early Childhood Centers Project of the Child, Family, and Community Program (CFCP) identifies, develops, and evaluates early childhood partnerships with six Northwest school sites to provide case studies of the restructuring process. This report presents the results of a…

In 1986, Illinois implemented the Children at Risk of Educational Failure preschool program. By the 1991-1992 school year, almost 25,000 children were enrolled in the program. This document reports on accessibility to, and community involvement in, the program, and instructional and evaluation practices used in the program. The section on…

This report includes an executive summary and describes results of a 1988 study of transition activities provided by public schools to enhance the continuity experienced by children as they move from preschool, day care, home, or other previous experience into kindergarten. Chapter 1 offers background information, including definitions of terms,…