Much of the research into factors that affect children's school performance has focused on parental involvement rather than the nature of children's activities undertaken in school. More research is therefore needed to examine the kinds of activities that affect performance and, in particular, whether the degree of involvement children experience…

Literacy is one of the most important areas of development. Several pieces of research examine the positive impact of the arts on children's literacy development. However, most of them focus on specific literacy skills and not in providing a holistic examination of literacy. Also, they adapt a structured methodology, with pre-decided lesson plans,…

Global Family Research Project joined with four other organizations as part of the LEGO Idea Conference to take an in-depth look at letting families guide the creation of programs and services that best meet their needs. This summary of the event session, held in Billund, Denmark, includes international examples of collaborating with families and…

This article describes how early childhood teachers engaged in a public preK professional development program. We examine how developing teacher identities mediated engagement with the discourses of developmentally appropriate practice, early mathematics, and funds of knowledge and how they connected present practice to an imagined future. We…

Kindergarten in Victoria, Australia is the preschool year, attended by children who are four going on five, and who will go onto primary school the following year. These are part-time programs, run over a small number of sessions per week, typically for 3-5 hours per session for 10-12 hours per week. North West Brunswick Kindergarten, in the…

In this article, the author presents a discussion regarding the sharing of decision making regarding curriculum in preschool. The preschool where she teaches is housed in a diverse, faith-based elementary school in the heart of Grand Rapids, Michigan, a midsize, midwestern city. It offers full-day, half-day, and two-and-a-half-hour preschool…

A program to encourage cooperative play and social interaction was successful with six of seven physically handicapped children in a nursery school setting. (DB)

Describes the new "basic" preschool program which focuses on enhancing, rather than accelerating, all children's development and enhancing health care. Centered upon Vygotsky's theory of development, such preschool programs focus on play as the leading activity of preschool children, organize the child's material environment, and thereby…

Reviews research on the use of sociodramatic play in developing preschool literacy skills, outlines the development of play centers which can be used to facilitate literacy development, and offers practical suggestions for acquiring the materials needed for the construction of such centers in preschool classrooms and facilities. (MDM)

Explores the tension between formal and nonformal approaches to preschool education in India, through discussion of the preschool program of the Government of India's Integrated Child Development Services that targets disadvantaged children and private nursery schools operating on a commercial basis. Asserts that although a nonformal approach is…

Describes two models of preschool "playrooms" developed in Serbia based on British playgroups as an alternative to professionally run creches and kindergartens. Playrooms are managed and staffed by parents and promote play as an authentic activity for preschool children. Traces program development and cites research results comparing the…

This paper describes various types of child care services available for preschool children in West Germany. The paper emphasizes the importance of play in children's cognitive and social development. Preschool experiences guided by a trained staff are considered an important complement to family life. According to the paper, West Germany is…

The Demonstration Nursery Center for Infants and Toddlers was established in 1967 to create a quality day care program that could be replicated elsewhere, to define the components of quality care for infants and to help the State of North Carolina develop standards for infant care. The Center models itself on a well-functioning home environment…

Child Life Programs in hospital settings aim to involve children in activities and relationships appropriate to their needs. Child Life programming is an essential component of health care, as it promotes: (1) advocacy for children, families, and individuals; (2) the sharing of resources and knowledge; (3) cohesion in the health care team; and (4)…