Early childhood programs should be designed to serve the whole child's development within the context of the family and community. This is especially important for children who speak a language other than English at home. Programs must employ developmentally and culturally appropriate practices that respect individual differences and choices and…

This technical assistance paper presents information designed to assist school personnel in assessing the strengths and needs of children and planning developmentally appropriate curriculum strategies. The first topic addressed is assessment strategies, which include developmental screening, diagnostic instruments, teacher observation, parent…

This paper presents findings of a study that compared the social-adjustment levels of students who participated in a middle-school transition program with students who did not. The program, implemented at Whitewater Middle School in Fayette County, Georgia, was designed to ease elementary students into the middle school system. In the Shadow…

A small but increasing number of school-aged children are engaging in home schooling--pursuing learning at home or elsewhere in the community. This digest summarizes research findings on and issues around home schooling. It describes the historical roots of home schooling, the estimated number of participants, the constitutionality and legal…

Maternal and professional perspectives on the developmental, behavioral, and ecological status of children with disabilities and their families were compared, specifically examining the degree of congruence between maternal and professional estimates on various measures designed to assess child and family status. A review of 37 studies helped…

Recent educational research indicates that learners differ in their preferences for learning mode and strategies. Implications for instruction and assessment are discussed as they relate to the Theory of Multiple Intelligences of H. Gardner (1983). One of the principles of the "Learner Centered Psychological Principles" of the American…

This study examined the effectiveness of Project Spectrum, an intervention program for at-risk students and an approach to assessment and curriculum development that identifies a child's area of strength and constructs the education and learning experiences around the child's competencies. A total of 119 students in 6 first grade classrooms…

Translated into Spanish, this booklet is intended for parents of infants and preschoolers with visual impairments or blindness. The guide focuses on the parent's role in selecting an appropriate program and helping the child make a positive transition into the program. The first section looks at feelings about transitions and positive steps…

In order to increase statistical power, this study combined the data of three previous studies on the role of parent involvement in early intervention for children with disabilities. Each of the studies found a mixed pattern of positive results on child outcomes and, in two of the studies, on family outcomes. The combined subjects (n=181) had mild…

The incidence of multiple births has increased dramatically in the past two decades. Given this trend, it seems reasonable to assume that many teachers will have twins and other multiple siblings in their classes at some point in their classroom careers. This Digest offers some pointers for educators facing the challenges of educating multiples.…

An evaluation of the International Youth Leadership Institute (IYLI), summarized in this IUME Brief, helps fill the gaps in knowledge about how youth programs help Blacks and Latinos negotiate their adolescence and attempt to form an integrated sense of self. IYLI, founded in 1989, is an academic leadership development program for Black and Latino…

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care has enrolled more than 1,300 children and followed most of them through the first 7 years of their lives to determine how variations in child care are related to their development. This booklet describes the study and its findings. Findings are divided…

The manual is intended to provide preschool educators who work with exceptional children with both theoretical background and practical guidance in teaching children with attentional deficit disorders, oppositional disorders, conduct disorders, autism, developmental learning disorders, childhood depression, borderline personality disorders, and…

This presentation suggests books, audiovisuals, articles, and training materials that can serve to introduce new parents and child care workers into the art and practice of high quality infant and child care. The materials described are easy-to-read and addressed to the practitioner. They deal with a wide variety of issues, reflect the best of…

Individuals of all ages hold coherent, theory-like beliefs in a variety of realms that may be at odds with formal, academic theory. Research on such informal theories suggests that individuals may develop key concepts in ways that are ontologically incompatible with the same concepts as they exist in formal or academic theories. This…