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…

This book examines dramatic interactions between a 3-year-old Inuit girl and the adults in her world. In these playful yet emotionally charged dramas, Inuit adults enact with children the plots that drive Inuit social life; they test, act out problems, entertain themselves, and create children who think and feel like an Inuit. The child, Chubby…

This paper reports the results of a 3-year study of children's use of computers in their homes and examines the implications of such use for educators. Subjects were over 400 children between ages 5 and 12 who came from a variety of social, economic, and cultural backgrounds in urban Sydney (Australia). The study aimed to develop knowledge and…

A comparison of frequency and directionality of 13 Navajo and 7 Caucasian preschool children's oral-linguistic and nonoral-visual behaviors in an urban classroom and playground revealed Navajo children to be far less oral-linguistic, considerably less oral-nonlinguistic, and strikingly more nonoral-visual than the Caucasian children. (NEC)

A play practicum involving kindergarten children was provided to 24 student teachers who completed a communication skills course. Comparisons were made among participants, students having only the course, and a control group. The play practicum proved more effective in assisting students to learn and to apply communication skills. (Author/BH)

Using a basketball unit as an example, this paper presents a model to help middle school physical educators accomplish a proper warmup, stretch, and cardiovascular workout as required by state core requirements without sacrificing time for skills acquisition and play. Concepts of individual goal setting and goal achievement are an inherent part of…

Recounts a week-long environmental program that revolved around staff dressing up as Alpha Centaurions to point out pollution on Earth. Activities were chosen to teach students about ways in which our environment is being ruined and students were encouraged to look for solutions. Activities included zoo visits, ecological study of Brockhill Valley…

Describes how one instructor incorporates daily poetry "breaks" in middle school. Explains that students begin by listening to Eve Merriam's "How to Eat a Poem," then imitate poems first in pantomime, then with sound and action. Notes that students later write and trade poems, and end the term with a poetry festival. (SG)

In a short-term, intensive parent-training program, mothers of developmentally delayed infants are shown how to teach their children toy play behaviors. This study evaluates intervention effects on parents and children, with a focus on maternal behaviors. Results indicate improved maternal teaching behavior and generalizability of positive…