It goes without saying that the terms people use in their daily discourse constantly change. Today the term "nursery school" is referred to as preschool and Pre-K. Perhaps it reflects the contemporary view that the main mission of early education is preparation for school, i.e. "school readiness." But that particular shift in terms is not as…

All teachers of all subjects at all levels have to address the question: What should be learned? Their answers to this question depend in part on the ages of the learners. Teachers' answers at the secondary school level are typically formulated in terms of the specific subjects they teach. Those teaching at the primary school level usually respond…

In the course of controversies over preschool goals and methods for disadvantaged children, practices identified with professional preschool education predating Head Start have become labeled "traditional", and teachers associated with it are stereotyped as "sentimental". A cluster of teacher attributes implied by the…

Notes the strong drive toward the professionalization of teaching and working in preschool settings. Applies features of a profession to the current state of the art of early childhood education. Discusses eight characteristics of a profession: social necessity; altruism; autonomy; a code of ethics; distance from clients; standards of practice;…

Two aspects of preschool teaching, teacher role and teacher style, are discussed in this paper. Teacher role refers to a teacher's behavior concerning the duties, responsibilities, and functions expected of the teacher by her clients and herself. Teacher style refers to the way in which individual teachers perform their roles. Teachers have had…

This paper is a preliminary report of a small research project undertaken to follow up some observations of Head Start classes. The project, which is in the early stages of developing procedures and techniques, hopes to investigate the preliminary observation that teachers' verbal responses to children have the function of ending a child's…

Examples are provided in this discussion to indicate the nature of professional judgment in a teaching situation likely to be encountered by most child care workers or preschool teachers. Specifically, this predicament involves a problem in turn taking among 4-year-olds. As used here, the term "professional judgment" refers to cognitive…

Noting that early childhood professionals around the world have a great deal in common with each other and often understand one another better than persons in their own countries who do different kinds of work, this paper explores how quality early childhood programs might meet the needs of all children. The paper first explores trends affecting…

The stages are survival, consolidation, renewal, and maturity, and suggestions are given for inservice training and assistance at each level. (SP)

There are several ways in which children's early experience is related to later development. First, there is irrefutable evidence that less than best quality early experiences represent missed opportunities for substantial contributions to the rest of children's lives. Second, recent research has found that about 80 percent of all neurological…

This monograph explores issues around the position of child development knowledge in early childhood education. Part 1 of the monograph raises questions regarding the role of such knowledge in teaching young children and its place in teacher education. This section considers the definition of "development," the type of child development…

This paper addresses two questions relevant to practices and policies in early childhood education (ECE). The first question addressed is, Given the worldwide focus on ECE, what are the priorities in practice-oriented research in school life? Educators struggle with the issue of whether research makes much difference to practice. It is suggested…

Teacher-child relationships are complex phenomena which can be described and observed from a variety of angles, on many different levels. Recent research contributes some information applicable to the analysis of teacher-child relations and identifies issues for further study. Teacher functions or duties may depend, in part, upon the teacher's…

An educational issue today concerns the quality of teaching in preschools. Many additional preschool teachers will be required in the next few years to meet the increased enrollments in preschool programs. Not only must proper training programs for future teachers be designed, but it has been noted that most people now teaching preschool children…