When children are assessed as being developmentally ready for competitive game play, large group games and traditional low organizational games need to be replaced by an approach that uses small-sided games, modified equipment and playing areas, and emphasizes game tactics. Manipulating factors that affect the structure and understanding of games…

A successful transition from home or preschool to kindergarten is a key component of school readiness. Yet, quite often this major step in a child's life is neither planned nor well coordinated. Thoughtful planning for this transition, however, can have a positive impact on children, families, teachers, schools, and communities that last well…

This paper proposes a theoretical framework for the development of curricula for Japanese heritage language schools. Although these schools provide most of the Japanese heritage language (JHL) instruction available to elementary and secondary school pupils, they have received little attention or support from the academic community. Specifically,…

Ninety children from South Korea and 119 children from the United States were observed in early childhood programs, and differences in classroom environments and teachers' and children's behavior in the two countries were identified. In both countries, there was evidence that preschool education is guided by ideas about "developmentally…

Six children (5 boys, 1 girl; aged 36-60 months) participated in this qualitative study. Each child was enrolled in a different family child care facility. The authors rated the child care providers in 3 of the facilities as using developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) most of the time and rated the providers in the 3 other facilities as…

Students making the transition into middle or high school face challenges that may derail their school careers. Schools can do a better job of preparing students for the challenges ahead. In this article, the authors review the developmental needs and challenges of young adolescents and the concerns that they and their parents have about moving…

What teachers believe and the practices in which they engage are often not consistent, as they face accountability demands and a return to more structured approaches. Data were collected from 34 kindergarten teachers on their beliefs about instructional practice and the forces that shape the education. Findings indicated that regardless of…

"Te Whaariki," the "draft guidelines for developmentally appropriate practice in [New Zealand] early childhood services," constitutes a set of principles which can guide practice, rather than a structure for curriculum planning. The guidelines have the potential to provide a theoretical rationale for the application of the…

This report identifies the components of a seamless child care system for low income families, with attention to consolidating funding streams, simplifying administration, and improving direct services to families. The result of a 1995 study directed by the Minnesota legislature involving meetings of parents, advocates, child care providers,…

Most children do not come home from school empty-handed, but laden with one or more assignments to be completed at home and returned to school the next day. Research suggests that parental involvement with homework can enable and enhance its positive effect. This study investigated middle-grades students' perceptions about parental involvement…

Today, the majority of countries are characterized by multicultural diversity, a factor which has enormous implications for early childhood educators. As we begin to understand the long-term benefits of participation in high quality early childhood care and education, educators must also recognize that their own cultural heritage can and does…

Nongraded education is the practice of teaching children of different ages and ability levels together, without dividing them into groups labeled by grade designations. As the year 2000 approaches and schools are being re-evaluated in light of changing social and economic conditions, nongradedness is the focus of renewed interest. This publication…

Combining developmentally appropriate early childhood practice with current views of emergent literacy and whole language instruction, this book is designed to help pre-service and in-service teachers incorporate new views of literacy into their classrooms. The book includes extensive examples from actual classrooms to assist readers in…

In the course of an ethnographic case study of a rural, Appalachian Head Start program, the researcher became increasingly aware of the bias she brought to the project in favor of the universal applicability of developmentally appropriate practice. The study was an extension of Sally Lubeck's "Sandbox Society" (1985), and focused on…

This guide provides information and strategies for Kentucky parents to become better partners in the education of their primary school children. Chapter 1 of the guide outlines a typical school day for a primary school student in Kentucky. Chapter 2 explains how children learn and how instruction will change as Kentucky schools move toward greater…