Serving as a vehicle for raising the profile of and thereby gaining recognition for the important research and development work being conducted in Canada in support of children and families, the "Research Connections Canada" series compiles research and/or development papers as well as background papers, analytical literature reviews,…

Based on the understanding that the capacity to learn is optimized in the early years, Early Learning Canada (ELC) is a community workshop program for parents and adults who work with children from birth to age 6 and their families to facilitate life-long learning. This workshop leader guide explains the ELC principles, examines learning styles…

Despite the plethora of new electronic media aimed at very young children, little is known about which media are available to children and whether or how children engage with them. This study reports on a nationally representative telephone survey of more than 1,000 parents of children ages 6 months through 6 years, conducted in Spring 2003. The…

In this position statement, the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education asserts that recess is an essential component of education and that preschool and elementary school children must have the opportunity to participate in regular periods of active, free play with peers. The statement summarizes…

"Instructional Patterns: Strategies for Maximizing Student Learning" examines instruction from the learners' point of view by showing how instructional patterns can be used to maximize the potential for students to learn. This book explores the interactive patterns that exist in today's classroom and demonstrates how teachers can…

The two issues of this magazine for parents, teachers, and others involved in cooperative nursery schools are designed to provide a forum for views on dealing with young children, express a variety of ideas, promote to cooperative philosophy, and to enhance the relationships of those involved in cooperative nursery schools. The Spring 1997 issue…

Interactive drama, a simplified form of drama, is a vehicle through which children can become involved with literature. When preservice teachers are presented with interactive drama in a college setting, it serves as an introduction to the simple, effective learning experiences available through informal drama activities. In an interactive drama,…

A supportive father as well as a supportive mother may foster offspring's healthy development. But what the behavior of a supportive parent looks like may in part depend upon whether the parent is a mother or a father. From the beginnings of empirical research on fathers, the father's role in traditional western families has been conceptualized as…

These stories, with accompanying photographs, were collected during 40 years of teaching preschoolers, directing child care centers, sharing with parents, and working with teachers and teachers-to-be. The anecdotes illustrate the fresh and amusing ways children look at the world; reveal thoughts and feelings that help adults understand better what…

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…

Noting that the approach to early childhood education of Reggio Emilia, Italy, has gained worldwide recognition as it challenges accepted approaches, this book reflects the impressions and experiences of the Reggio Emilia approach gained by a range of early childhood educators following a study visit to the region. The book focuses on key issues…

This final report describes activities and achievements of the PIWI (Parents Interacting with Infants) Outreach Project, a 3-year effort that developed a parent-child play group model and a training approach for personnel implementing this early intervention model. The project trained more than 1,000 early intervention and early head start…

Intended for parents with infants, this book is a collection of 230 simple, fun-filled games that can be played with infants from birth to age 1 year. The book begins with guidelines for growth in motor, auditory, visual, language, cognitive, and self-concept skills from birth to 6 months and from 6 to 12 months. The remainder of the book presents…

Noting that most children living in Australia have access to a television, video games, and computers and are influenced by the content of their viewing and interactive games, this report examines the impact of media violence on young children. Topics discussed include the recognition of violence on television and video/computer games, reasons for…

Based on an ethnographic study in an urban classroom of 7- to 9-year olds, this book examines how young school children use popular culture, especially superhero stories, in the unofficial peer social world and in the official school literary curriculum. In one sense, the book is about children "writing superheroes"--about children…