This booklet emphasizes the importance of National Education Goal 1, which states that all children should be ready to learn when they start school. The booklet also explains the educational and social effects that early childhood programs can have on young children, and shows how the Nebraska State Board of Education, citizen groups, and school…

In November 1994, a study was conducted at Miami-Dade Community College (M-DCC), in Florida, to determine outcomes after 1 year for first-time-in-college students who began in fall 1992. Specifically, the study sought to determine the percent of first-time students continuing enrollment at MDCC beyond their first year, the effect of student…

Written by a retired kindergarten teacher with 25 years of experience, this paper presents the text for a video demonstration of at-home sensory activities to stimulate development in children from birth to age 5. The introduction notes recent research indicating that learning begins at birth, and explores the effect of early stimulation on…

This Spanish-language handbook, which was written by a retired kindergarten teacher with over 25 years of experience, is intended to help parents and caregivers prepare their child for formal schooling. It describes 260 learning activities, each based on a different developmental concept, and most requiring materials usually found in the home. An…

The All-Day Kindergarten (ADK) Program was implemented in the Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools in January 1972 to provide a full day of instruction to prepare underachieving kindergarten pupils for first grade. The ADK is an individualized, language-based program that reinforces the skills, concepts, and educational experiences taught in the regular…

The Full-Day Kindergarten (FDK) Program was implemented in selected Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools to improve students' level of achievement by providing an additional half day of kindergarten. This extra half day gave pupils time to participate in more language enrichment activities and more group learning. Activities were designed to: (1)…

This report explores social environmental supports and hazards to emotional, social, and linguistic development in infancy and early childhood. After a discussion of the prevalence and consequences of early language and emotional difficulties, selected studies that examined the effects of social experience on emotional and linguistic growth,…

National Education Goal One, as framed by President Bush and the governors of the 50 states in 1989, declares that by the year 2000, all children in America will start school ready to learn. This sourcebook identifies and provides information about 20 promising comprehensive state and local strategies designed to improve learning readiness among…

This set of forms is part of Project STEPS (Sequenced Transition to Education in the Public Schools). They are intended to assist communities develop and use a formalized process for assessing the current status of transition within their community and for interagency planning related to the development of a community-wide transition team. The…

Support for primary-age, at-risk children is examined in the context of renewed national interest in intervention programs for this population. This report describes alternative approaches to identifying characteristics of at-risk students and then presents a summary of states' definitions of "handicapped" or "disadvantaged."…

This study compared the concepts of oral and written language of 4-year-old, preschool children from low- and middle-class homes. Subjects were 64 children from 3 preschools serving families at poverty level, and 3 preschools serving middle-income families. Children's understanding of the function of print was measured by three tasks: recognizing…

Three early educational intervention programs designed to prevent mental retardation and to improve school readiness are profiled. The Abecedarian Project was begun as an experiment to test whether mental retardation, allegedly caused by inadequate environments, could be prevented by providing intensive preschool programs to children from birth to…

This booklet offers parents guidance on teaching their children attitudes, learning skills, and study skills that will help them succeed in school. Section 1 focuses on the creation of a shared learning environment in the home. Parents are encouraged to set limits, establish routines, provide a secure atmosphere of encouragement and support,…

This document describes the progress that Ohio has made toward the six National Education Goals during the 1992-93 school year. Notable improvements have been made, particularly in Head Start programs and student performance on the Ohio Ninth-Grade Proficiency Tests. New baseline data are available for goals 5 (every American adult will be…

This manual is intended to provide teachers of young children with disabilities with guidance in facilitating the independence of young children with and without disabilities and in making the transition from preschool to public school. The manual has three sections. The first describes the components of the teaching process and presents…