In this book, the author reveals the creative force of children's narrative imagination and shows how this develops through childhood. He provides a new and powerful understanding of the significance of narrative for children's intellectual growth and for learning and teaching. The book explores a series of real stories written by children between…

Young refugees from many parts of the world are increasingly present in UK early years settings. This book explores the crucial importance of play for young refugee children's development. It considers the implications of war and conflict on young children and notes how opportunities for play are denied. It provides a framework for early years…

In global terms, 2005 was not much different from the years before, as it was again not a happy time for the world's children. The trend of many countries sinking further back into poverty continued, with people living shorter lives, fewer children going to school and more children dying than ever before. Wars keep raging on, taking heavy tolls on…

Supports for families of young children with disabilities--as provided by Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act--are vital, according to a study that assessed family outcomes at the end of early intervention near their child's third birthday. This report summarizes the main findings of the study in response to the five broad…

Parent involvement in Head Start has been key since its inception in 1965. In contrast to other early childhood intervention programs in the early 1960s, the program broke ground by viewing parental participation as essential to both children's and families' growth and development. Research has demonstrated that greater parent involvement links to…

Anticipating Congressional hearings related to reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind Act, this report provides an analysis of preliminary hearings and related reports and proposals. The specific focus is on whether the reauthorization process is likely to include a substantive discussion of what is needed to enable all children to have an equal…

The author of this book takes up all the main issues confronting those who work with young children in a wide variety of settings. The explanations, case studies and suggestions provide an invaluable resource for all of those who aim to build solid foundations right from the start. This book is organized into the following chapters: (1) Confident…

The "Everyday Learning" series has been developed to focus attention on the everyday ways in which children can be supported in their growth and development. It is for all those who are involved in children's development and learning, including early childhood professionals in all children's services, parents, grandparents and others with an…

Help young students master concepts of print, phonemic awareness, and alphabet knowledge--the key predictors of early literacy success and school readiness. This resource will show what children need to know about print in order to become successful readers, how to connect children's development with learning about print, and how to provide a…

Understanding the effects of maltreatment and trauma on a child and their impact on development is an essential aspect of every teacher's job. It is as critical as the curriculum to the child's learning ability and overall well-being. But the issues involved are not easy, the answers not always clear-cut. And guidance is often hard for teachers to…

Over the last quarter of the 20th century, the counselor role moved substantially from one that focused primarily on remediation to one that focused on prevention. This chapter discusses the possible move toward a third role shift focusing on a developmental framework. The shift to this developmental focus rests on the premise that counselors need…

Although much of the advice and training for educators derived from various interpretations of brain research findings has been useful, much is simplistic and misleading. This book draws on recent research to offer information about brain growth and neurological development and about the relationship between environment and brain development; the…

This conference proceedings compile presentations from a 1998 meeting of the American Montessori International of the United States, focusing on the importance of grace and courtesy in children's lives and in Montessori education. The papers presented are: (1) "Grace--The Felicity of Being" (Renilde Montessori); (2) "A Montessori…

The purpose of this paper is to encourage state and local family and youth organizations, mental health agencies, education entities and schools across the nation to enter new relationships to achieve positive social, emotional and educational outcomes for every child. This paper offers recommendations and encouragement to family and youth…

Although pretend play has long been part of the early childhood curriculum, recent emphasis on accountability in education seems to have led to a decline in the general understanding of the contribution that high-quality play can make to children's cognitive development in the early years. This Spanish-language Digest defines the cluster of…