This Kiwanis Club project kit contains ideas and instructions for implementing programs that meet local needs in the areas of maternal and infant health, child care and development, parenting, and safety and pediatric trauma. The kit begins with an overview that explains how to assess need and how to plan, implement, and evaluate a project. Tip…

This document contains volume I, volume II and the Trainer's Guide. Volume I contains 6 modules of a course of study designed to help individuals, either on their own or in a formal course of instruction, acquire the skills and knowledge needed to provide high-quality family child care for children from infancy through age 12. The other 7 modules…

This paper reports results from two dissertation studies and several pilot and case studies examining the effects of early enrichment on children's language and cognitive development. Early enrichment in these studies included home visits with parents, typically beginning before the child reached 6 months of age, and continuing until the child was…

Since the early 1980s researchers have increasingly turned to family systems theory and stress and coping theory to conceptualize the relationship between parental adjustment and children's adaptive process. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of maternal coping strategies upon the adaptive processes of children. That is, how…

The Infant Monitoring Project was initiated in Polk County, Oregon, to address the need for monitoring the development of infants and young children designated as "at risk." The project involved a cooperative effort between the Polk County Health Department and the Teaching Research Division of the Oregon State System of Higher…

This curriculum handbook presents North Carolina's early childhood education program. Section I provides a holistic overview of young children's growth and development. Section II discusses key environments which affect children's learning. These include the home, school, and community. Various adult roles in the fostering of healthy developmental…

The theoretical perspectives of school and family partnerships discussed in this report are based on the influences of families and schools on children's learning and development. A review of research deals with three topics: (1) the importance of family environments and involvement; (2) the influence of school environments on family involvement;…

A study was conducted during the 1988-89 academic year of 1983 and 1988 Montana high school graduates to assess the impact of their enrollment in home economics courses on their knowledge in the areas of nutrition, consumer education, and child development/parenting. Fifty-three 1983, and 55 1988 graduates of randomly selected high schools in…

Developing positive self-images and self-discipline is a prerequisite for the effective education of African American children. The following factors have had a negative influence on their development: (1) chronic unemployment and underemployment; (2) the changing concept of childhood; (3) elitism; (4) low expectations; (5) lack of commitment to…

The relationships among independent observer ratings of a child care program on the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS), state department personnel ratings of program quality using the Child Development Program Evaluation Scale (CDPES), and self-evaluation ratings using the self-assessment instrument designed for the Early Childhood…

This three-year study of early learning programs in Washington (District of Columbia) public schools found that the extension of formal educational experiences to preschool and kindergarten classrooms does little to promote academic preparation and can actually hinder future academic achievement and overall child development. The Vineland Adaptive…

This 42-item annotated bibliography, represents a comprehensive effort to gather information on the educational problems of infant children of substance-abusing parents. Extensive searches were conducted in databases in the fields of education, medicine, social sciences, and the humanities. In particular, studies on the problems of "crack…

It was hypothesized that antisocial behavior and deviant peer involvement assessed prior to puberty, at grade four, would predict initiation of sexual intercourse by grade nine. The hypotheses were tested on a sample of 201 boys who were at risk for delinquency. The subjects participated in an extensive multiple method/agent assessment for both…

This theme newsletter issue presents seven articles describing toddler behavior and development, services for toddlers, and toddlers with special needs. The first article, "Toddlers: Themes and Variations" (Lois Barclay Murphy and Colleen Small) focuses on variations in toddler development, noting emerging skills, language, and the caregiver role.…

This handbook describes ways that families, schools, and child-care centers can work together to achieve Vermont's state goals for early childhood education. The following topics are presented: (1) the goals and principles guiding Vermont's early education program; (2) the role of kindergarten in a child's educational career; (3) the need to shift…