The articles in this engaging volume, mostly from Young Children, address the purposes of and uses for assessment. Expert commentary from Marian Marion, Gayle Mindes, Richard Clifford, Diane Trister Dodge and others offers an overview of the topic and specific examples to show how assessment informs and improves practice in early childhood…

Higher-quality child care during the first 3 years of a child's life may have strong and enduring effects on the child's development and well-being. One practice that is theorized to promote higher quality of care is the provision of continuity of caregivers for young children. Continuity of caregivers means that infants and toddlers remain with…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of a federally supported project in Connecticut to develop and examine the effectiveness of a social competence curriculum on the behavioral outcomes of young children (24-48 months) with disabilities and their families. Children (n=17) and their families received two years of…

To many in the field of early care and education, back-up child care may be viewed as a stressful disruption that could interfere with attachment and be detrimental to continuity of care. This paper attempts to prove that high-quality back-up child care offered by employers actually fosters the development of resiliency in young children by…

This book by a Montessori educator provides ideas and suggestions for parents, extended families, preschool teachers, and anyone who wants to gain a simple understanding of how and when to relate to a toddler in a supportive, not destructive, manner. The book addresses how to communicate with toddlers, how to avoid and resolve emotional conflict,…

This final report summarizes the objectives, activities and outcomes of a federally funded program that was designed to provide parent training and early intervention services to children and families in 4 counties of north Alabama. A total of 61 children were enrolled in the project over three years. All were less than 36 months of age and had…

Many children who are born into poverty face increased challenges. But different factors can ameliorate such risks and some findings on resilience and protective factors are reported in this paper. The data are based on the Parent-Child Project, a 22-year study of high-risk children. The focus is on protective factors identified in the first three…

Suggesting that if children are treated respectfully from birth, they may have a better chance of gaining confidence and developing good judgment, this book aims to help parents and those who work with babies and young children to understand the children. This goal is accomplished by teaching or "sensitizing" educarers to young children,…

This report discusses the activities and outcomes an inservice training model. This model was designed to help states provide ongoing training to early intervention, early childhood, and vision personnel. The focus is on personnel that specialize inserving visually impaired children from time of birth to age five. The purpose of the project is to…

Challenging the prevailing belief that the first 3 years of a child's life comprise the most critical period for development, this book maintains that although there is valid scientific evidence for the existence of critical periods, the same research points to learning and development occurring throughout life. The book asserts that too many…

This paper uses the work of some of the acknowledged geniuses of the 19th and 20th centuries to reflect upon the practices of educarers to encourage young children's creativity and exploratory thinking and to raise questions about philosophies of educare with infants and toddlers. Beginning and ending with Albert Einstein, the paper considers how…

Noting that drawing and painting offer very young children powerful ways to explore and communicate thoughts and feelings, this booklet for caregivers and teachers offers suggestions related to painting and drawing for children under 3 years. The booklet discusses what young children can do with drawing and painting materials, including exploring…

Caring for infants and toddlers has long been conceptualized in Western society as mothers' work, and consequently devalued. Alternative care for infants and toddlers has lacked a knowledge base like that undergirding preschool education. Factors impeding research on infant/toddler care include strong ideological opposition to nonmaternal care,…

The Illinois Early Learning Project (IEL) is funded by the Illinois State Board of Education to provide information resources on early learning and training related to implementing the Illinois Early Learning Standards for parents and for early childhood personnel in all settings. The IEL tip sheets offer suggestions to parents and early childhood…

This document contains recommendations from the Sunset Commission for the Interagency Council on Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) in Austin, Texas. Recommendations include: (1) modify ECI's current method of purchasing early intervention services to ensure the state receives the best value for its dollars; (2) tap additional funding sources to…