Noting that the persistence of unacceptable trends in kindergarten entry and placement practices narrows the curriculum in kindergarten and primary education, constricts equal educational opportunity, and curtails the exercise of professional responsibilities of early childhood educators, this position statement of the National Association of…

Early Childhood Research & Practice (ECRP), a peer-reviewed, Internet-only journal sponsored by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education (ERIC/EECE), covers topics related to the development, care, and education of children from birth to approximately age 8. ECRP emphasizes articles reporting on practice-related…

Noting that school readiness--the preparedness of children to learn what is taught in schools--is the cornerstone of today's education reform movement, this article presents a brief overview of the key public factors that contribute to school readiness. These factors include both historical and contemporary American views of early learning as…

The academic and emotional needs of students who enter college early are discussed, based on studies done of students at Simon's Rock College. The concept of early college admission is defended on the grounds that some students are emotionally and academically ready for college after only two years of high school. (JSR)

The participant evaluation of an intensive, research-based institute about emergent literacy and public library service for young children demonstrates current "best practice" strengths and weaknesses. Children's librarians indicate which services, attitudes and skills, organizational structures, and resources are being implemented in…

Examined 14 low-income mothers' socialization goals for their preschool children and the role of child-care providers in achieving those goals. Subjects' views of preschool learning were not entirely congruent with a constructivist approach to learning, and were linked to other cultural models of childrearing, including respecting authority,…

Examined the effects of parent involvement on child adaptation and growth of autonomy during a home-school transitional year. Found that parent involvement had significant potential for change in children who struggled with problems of attachment and other issues of adaptation, and enhanced the quality of the nursery school experience for the…

Compares the performance of similar preschool students on Spanish and English versions of the Lollipop Test: A Diagnostic Screening Test of School Readiness--Revised. Results with samples of 129 rural, 788 disadvantaged, and 148 bilingual children support the construct validity of the instrument and its Spanish form. (SLD)

Discusses what schools, caregivers/teachers, parents, and communities can do to ensure/enhance children's learning and school readiness in accordance with the theoretical framework and eventual implementation of the 1990 National Education Goal 1. (BB)

Uses data from focus groups with Latina and Alaska Native college students to examine how the quality of their public education affected their later college achievement. Students reported arriving at college unable to perform college work. They used college labs and developmental classes to enhance their skills. Students experienced bias, racism,…

This position paper proposes an expanded definition of transition, based on common components of early childhood and secondary perspectives. It advocates for a seamless model of transition service delivery for students with disabilities, including program planning, from birth through age 21. The model addresses curriculum, location of services,…

50 years after the "Brown v. Board of Education" decision, a high-stakes testing movement, significantly boosted by provisions contained in No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, has emerged with the potential of both positive and negative implications. This paper argues that assessment generally is not tied to the 3 positive outcomes of…

This study explored the congruence in reading and teaching patterns of low-income, young African American mothers while interacting with their preschool-age children in their homes (N = 126). Survey and standardized test data were collected on maternal education and language ability, and videotape data were collected, transcribed, and coded on…

This study investigates whether working memory skills of children are related to teacher ratings of their progress towards learning goals at the time of school entry, at 4 or 5 years of age. A sample of 194 children was tested on measures of working memory, phonological awareness, and non-verbal ability, in addition to the school-based baseline…

The Comprehensive Services Program of Palm Beach County, Florida, was an ambitious and innovative effort to improve the school readiness of low-income children in Palm Beach County by identifying needs early and providing early intervention services to support physical, cognitive, and emotional health and development. Services were delivered to…