Building on trends toward interdisciplinarity, this monograph features articles that explore educational and professional collaborations. After the editor's commentary, "The Art of Collaboration, The Science of Teaching" (Brian Jory), three essays include: "'Now I Trust You': Bridging the Ethical Dilemma in Professional Development School…

Beginning with the assumption that children across the full spectrum of family income, family composition, and prior experience with child care would benefit from being in a well-implemented preschool at 3 and 4 years of age, this working paper focuses on finding a feasible way to finance universal preschool for 4-year-olds. The paper begins with…

Noting that peace concerns justice and respect for everyone's basic rights, this booklet examines how children, teachers, and parents understand peace, and how they can learn together to respect each other and create peaceful environments for young children. Following introductory remarks, it describes the visions of children, parents, and…

Noting that school provides one of the most important arenas for interactive processes that are crucial to children's healthy social development, this book examines the social, educational, and developmental psychology of the school environment, focusing on peer relationships and teacher-student interactions. The book demonstrates the complexities…

This guide is designed for training teachers in the use of the "Innovations" curricula for infants and for toddlers. The "Innovations" program is based on the view that curricula for young children should involve thinking and planning for everything that can contribute to child development as well as the teacher's relationship with the child and…

These two videotape recordings and accompanying workbook provide information on the developmental stages of childhood, influences on child development, and identifying children with disabilities. The videos, "Exceptional Child 1: Building Understanding," (27 minutes) and "Exceptional Child 2: Focusing on Nurturing & Learning," (28 minutes) address…

This book examines how culturally specific aspects of Japanese preschool children's narrative discourse skills develop and eventually lead to literacy. It discusses how language shapes and is shaped by culture-specific experiences, analyzing how young Japanese children develop narrative structure and how Japanese parents guide their children in…

There has, in recent years, been a reemergence of interest in the early years and a renewed emphasis on the importance of early education programs to ensure that all children start school ready to learn. At the same time, the move toward evidence-based policy development has led to the need to demonstrate the effectiveness of early education…

The "Coordinators' Notebook" is a twice-annual publication of the Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development. This issue summarizes some important information about early childhood care and development (ECCD); shares case studies of effective examples of ECCD; helps ECCD advocates think through what they may need to do…

A child who is not granted a familial environment that is fundamentally consistent and harmonious will be more than likely to develop inconsistently, primarily psychologically and, perhaps even physically, in comparison to the accepted standards. This would idealistically make for a scenario within which the child grows into an adult who is under…

Based on 1996 testimony by Margaret Dunkle, director of the Institute of Educational Leadership (IEL) Policy Exchange, before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth and Families, this report calls for a rethinking of the federal role for children, youth, and families, encouraging the federal government to…

The importance of integrating developmental research and social policy is becoming increasingly evident as researchers focus on ways to address the needs of children and families. This article discusses these developments, focusing not only on the possibilities but also on the challenges inherent in bridging the disparate worlds of research and…

Changes in the preschool education system are provided for by a new federal law in Portugal, Law 5/97, Law for Preschool Education. This law calls for a new role for the State that involves fewer direct services, less bureaucracy, more efficient supervision, and a greater regulating and compensating role. The law requires parents to participate in…

This book is designed to provide future and experienced educators and other professionals with a fundamental understanding of traditional and contemporary perspectives on the assessment of children and youth, aged 3 through 21. It features broad coverage of traditional and contemporary assessment approaches. Individual tests are discussed at…

In child-centered 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 series of…