This issue of Occasional Papers began as a Graduate School seminar honoring Steven Schultz, a much beloved and respected faculty member whose untimely death from HIV/AIDS-related illnesses left a terrible hole in the lives of Bank Street staff members. The seminar, organized by Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Virginia Casper, a close friend…

Contends that children should be expected to learn to read throughout their participation in Head Start. Maintains that over-reliance on child-centered educational approaches and developmentally appropriate practices may hinder emerging reading skills. Recommends continuing innovation in Head Start, broadening the theoretical perspectives to…

Examined beliefs and practices of Korean early childhood teachers. Found that public kindergarten teachers had more academic preparation and teaching experience and reported implementing more appropriate and fewer inappropriate teaching practices than other teachers. Child caregivers used more inappropriate teaching strategies than public or…

This study examined the developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) beliefs of 113 practitioners employed in either general early childhood service settings (n=74) or special education service settings (n=39). Although results were remarkably similar across settings, differences were related to the appropriateness of implementing behavioral…

This article contrasts the philosophies of early childhood special education and early childhood education and discusses a service delivery approach, known as activity-based intervention, which combines strategies for both fields and utilizes behavior analytic techniques within child-directed activities. (Author/DB)

Describes the experience of a conservative, suburban school system making the change from traditional classroom instruction to more developmentally appropriate practices. Discusses the planning and implementation process, focusing particularly on the issues of skills acquisition, assessment, staff development, and parent involvement. (TJQ)

Five principles of learning for young children with handicaps (functioning below a developmental age of one year) are presented, with descriptions of strategies that can be used to facilitate ascendance to higher levels of cognitive-social-communicative functioning. The principles include frequent adult-child interactions, meaningful context for…

Reviews four books on issues and concerns surrounding kindergarten entrance requirements, assessment, and curriculum: (1) "Kindergarten Policies: What Is Best for Children" (Peck and others); (2) "Changing Kindergartens: Four Success Stories (Goffin and Stealing, Eds.); (3) "Teaching Kindergarten: A Developmentally Appropriate Approach" (Walmsley…

Describes an approach to developmentally appropriate library media skills instruction. Details the two phases involved: (1) describing library media center expectations according to grade level--which outlines skills for grades K-12; and (2) describing library media instruction in terms of reading level. Discusses browsing skills and includes six…

Background: In 2000 the so-called "Reception" class was re-conceived (in curricular terms, at least) as the second and final year of the Foundation Stage, a distinctive educational phase for children aged 3 until entry to key stage 1 at 5 or 6 years old. The "Curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage" endorses a play-based,…

The model presented by the preschools in Reggio Emilia, Italy, is one of cooperation and collaborations among teachers, parents, and children; curriculum based on the "project approach," and constructivist learning philosophy, which states that children construct their knowledge and values as a result of interactions with and action on…

This paper describes a study which examined kindergarten students' concepts about authorship and how these concepts affected their view of themselves as readers and writers. The teachers' role in helping form students' attitudes was also examined. Thirty-eight children from two kindergarten classrooms and their teachers were interviewed. The…

A confusing variety of terms is used in discussions of age grouping practices. This digest examines terms that have important implications for teaching and the curriculum. The terms "nongraded" and "ungraded" typically refer to grouping children in classes without grade-level designations and with more than a 1-year age span.…

This thesis examined the relationship between the level of endorsement of developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) by 14 second-grade teachers and the construction of self-concept of children in their classrooms. Teachers were given the Primary Teacher Questionnaire, a beliefs scale that assesses the level of endorsement of DAP, and were…

The preschool and kindergarten years are the best time to help children establish a positive cycle in their social relations. Teachers and caregivers can provide models of interactive skills, set patterns for class interaction, and provide help to children who are in the process of acquiring and strengthening social understanding and skills. The…