This document presents congressional testimony regarding effective early childhood education. Opening statements presented by Representatives Michael Castle and Dale Kildee focused on the need to examine the effectiveness of early childhood programs and address the "pre-achievement gap" between disadvantaged and advantaged preschoolers.…

As part of a series of reports designed to support the implementation of Proposition 10: The California Children and Families Act and to provide comprehensive and authoritative information on critical issues concerning young children and families in California, this report examines the current situation for children who have been maltreated by…

As part of a series of reports designed to support the implementation of Proposition 10: The California Children and Families Act and to provide comprehensive and authoritative information on critical issues concerning young children and families in California, this report reviews the research about early childhood brain development, examines the…

Based on recent research, it is now believed that brain growth is highly dependent upon children's early experiences. Neurons allow communication and coordinated functioning among various brain areas. Brain development after birth consists of an ongoing process of wiring and rewiring the connections among neurons. The forming and breaking of…

It has long been accepted that the social and economic well-being of adults is determined principally by their passage through childhood and that well-adjusted children emerge most often from healthy families. Creating the stability, emotional warmth and security of a healthy family environment is a challenge to parents at the best of times, but…

Seventy-five families of children with special needs were interviewed after one year's experience with early intervention services and 69 of these families were then re-interviewed a year later after two years of such services. Five themes were identified in the families' views of "what works well." These were: (1) consistency of staff, (2) home…

Efforts to introduce children to essential experiences of science inquiry must begin at an early age. This paper describes the development of fundamental concepts and skills used from infancy through the primary years and presents strategies for helping students to acquire those fundamental concepts and skills needed for inquiry learning. The…

In child-centered education programs, children construct their own knowledge from their experiences and interactions with the world around them, and teachers foster children's growth and development by building on children's interests, needs, and strengths within a safe and caring environment. The Step by Step educational program developed a…

This study examined children's perceptions of child-rearing norms and values of the culture where the child is raised and provides a cross-cultural comparison of child development in India, Kenya, and Sweden. Children ages 8 through 13 in Kenya were asked questions regarding good and bad behavior and parents' sanctions, the results of which were…

This annual report presents several articles related to the work of the Clinical Center for Child Development at Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan. The articles are: (1) "Intrinsic Musicality: Rhythm and Prosody in Infant-Directed Voices" (Niki Powers); (2) "Movable Cognitive Studies with a Portable, Telemetric Near-Infrared…

Compiling essays authored by Benjamin Spock and published in popular magazines, this book explores current trends that have an impact on raising children. The chapters are: (1) "Teaching Values to Children," discussing important values to share, and the value of duties and responsibilities at an early age; (2) "Families," examining the changing…

Although the United States has seen a record influx of infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children into the foster care system in the past decade, there has not been an accompanying shift in policy or practice to attend to the developmental issues these younger children bring to child welfare. This textbook addresses the spectrum of child…

This paper reports on the development of a set of four family outcomes concerned with the measurement of child growth and development as part of a 5-year project by the Early Childhood Research Institute on Measuring Growth and Development to develop a comprehensive assessment model for young children, birth to age 8, with disabilities. It first…

This book is designed to assist parents and teachers to sincerely and positively support the healthy development of diverse, biracial and biethnic children. The book's purpose is also to extend the concept of diversity and multicultural education to include the unique needs, histories, and experiences of interracial and interethnic families and…

This paper discusses current perspectives on the education of young children in terms of five interrelated issues rooted in a developmental perspective: (1) the complexities of predicting the long-term developmental outcomes of early experience; (2) how to interpret gender differences in the long-term effects of different approaches to early years…