Addresses teachers' frustration in reconciling appropriate education for young children with the practice of grading to assess and report progress, contending that research on unreliability in grading and the efforts of committed parents and professionals are necessary to change the practice. Summarizes research suggesting that grading is…

This guide was developed for North Carolina teachers in early childhood education and focuses on how play-based center activities in kindergarten teach literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, and the arts. Development of the guide was based on educators' experiences and their understanding of how children learn. The guide's introduction…

This guide provides field-tested frameworks for planning and for reflection to assist preschool teachers in integrating popular curricular approaches. Chapter 1 of the guide describes the key components of a good preschool curriculum related to learning, a rich classroom environment, respectful caring relationships with children and families,…

Maintains that new practices such as performance-based assessment that are consistent with the early childhood profession's process goals need to be developed and that testing of young children that is not developmentally appropriate constitutes misassessment. Promotes observational assessment that uses anecdotal notes and that complements…

Examines how the forms used by teachers to document planning and assess children's progress affect three child care center teachers' practice and expectations for young children. Narratives are constructed using qualitative methods to show how requirements for documentation may lead teachers to override goals of developmentally appropriate…

The High/Scope Curriculum is a developmentally based approach to early childhood education. The curriculum's "Extensions" newsletter, in which the articles in this collection first appeared, informs curriculum users about new developments relating to the High/Scope "open framework" curriculum. The articles are presented in…

Noting the challenges presented for kindergarten teachers by current demands for accountability based on standardized measures that ignore diversity, this book presents ideas for implementing a developmentally-appropriate kindergarten curriculum within the constraints of American public schools. Following introductory remarks, the book is…

This longitudinal study examined the extent to which developmentally appropriate practices of teaching and evaluation are accepted and implemented in primary schools and the relationship of teacher educational background and experience with the use of these practices. Data were obtained from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study kindergarten…

In this article, the authors describe their efforts to improve the performance of their middle school students on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA). As middle level educators, they knew that in addition to addressing the curriculum, they also had to address the psychological needs of their students. To administer a standardized…

The New York State Education Department has adopted the national reading goal that all children will be able to read independently and well by the end of Grade 3. Building on previous English language arts documents of the Department, this document provides teachers with additional specificity regarding the early literacy skills that students…

When young children play in a purposefully designed, literacy-rich environment, teachers can discover and capitalize on teachable moments. This book discusses how children develop literacy and how early childhood teachers use play and other child-centered experiences to facilitate literacy development. Chapter 1, "Play and Developmentally…

Noting that early childhood education is recognized as critical to a child's educational career, this 7-part videotape series focuses on developmentally appropriate practices in the components of quality early childhood programs, providing an opportunity for acquiring working knowledge, observing classroom models, and reflecting on one's own…

This set of training videotapes teaches the key points of the "Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs--Revised Edition." The videos present more than 3 hours of programming produced in short stand- alone programs ranging in length from 3 to 20 minutes. The videos are designed to be used in a variety of ways to stimulate…

The High/Scope Curriculum is a developmentally based approach to early childhood education. The curriculum's "Extensions" newsletter, in which the articles in this collection first appeared, informs curriculum users about new development, relating to the High/Scope "open framework" curriculum. This collection divides the…

In 1995, the National Middle School Association published a position paper defining foundational characteristics of developmentally responsive middle schools and program components that would create the kind of schools young adolescents need and deserve. This book provides a comprehensive, whole vision of schooling for the middle grades and makes…