The claim that the incidence of school failure can be greatly reduced by increasing kindergarten entrance age from 57 to 60 months was investigated in three related studies. In the first study, subjects ranging in school entrance age from 57 to 68 months were drawn from five elementary schools in an urban lower socioeconomic area. A total of 114…

The study reported here sought to establish the predictive validity of the Miller Assessment for Preschoolers (MAP), an instrument designed to identify preschool children at risk for school-related problems in the primary years. Children (N=338) in 11 states who were originally tested in 1980 as part of the MAP standardization project were given a…

Described are characteristics of the Center for Successful Child Development (CSCD), a family-oriented early childhood intervention program serving 6 of 28 buildings of the Robert Taylor Homes (a public housing project inhabited by 20,000 people on Chicago's south side). After an introductory section providing background information, discussion…

The bilingual Spanish-English book contains 61 learning activities and educational games that parents can use to help their preschool children develop readiness skills. The activities are generally intended to develop gross and small motor skills, an awareness of the world around, independence, social awareness, and curiosity, although some are…

This is the second of two volumes developed by Project CONNECT in order to enable local program personnel to determine the appropriateness of a test for a particular child. For 71 preschool tests the following information is presented, when available: title, whether the test is for screening or verification, bibliographic information, descriptive…

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to describe kindergarten children's abilities, evaluate the effect of teacher expectations on kindergarten performance, and explore the predictive validity of kindergarten performance for later reading ability. An original sample of approximately 450 kindergarten children was tested with a school…

To determine the effectiveness of Sesame Street in imparting basic facts and skills to children aged 3-5, data from the first year study was reanalyzed and a second-year research study was undertaken. The second-year study included a new study of 283 disadvantaged children and a followup study of 283 disadvantaged children from the first year…

Reflecting the mood of educational planners of the early 1960's toward the establishment of language courses in public elementary schools, this leaflet considers factors vital to the success of proposed FLES programs. Discussion centers on: (1) school readiness for the program, (2) justification for the proposed program, (3) scheduling, (4) choice…

"Harvard Education Letter" is published bimonthly at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This issue of "Harvard Education Letter" contains the following articles: (1) Early Childhood Education at a Crossroads: Access to Preschool Has Come a Long Way, but Critical Choices Lie Ahead (Deborah Stipek); (2) Bridging the…

In order to help the state of Illinois assess the extent to which it is providing access to educational opportunities that lead to successful transitions to college and the workforce, the IERC is undertaking a six-year longitudinal study following the 113,660 students in the Illinois high school class of 2002. This report, the second one in the…

KIDS COUNT, a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is a national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children in the United States. By providing policymakers and citizens with benchmarks of child well-being, KIDS COUNT seeks to enrich local, state, and national discussions concerning ways to secure better futures for all…

Asserting that children who are exposed to a rich variety of literary experiences at home are far more likely to enter school ready to learn than those not exposed, this booklet for parents and caregivers discusses 10 guidelines to help them promote literacy in young children. The guidelines are: (1) talk and sing with your child; (2) read to your…

This evaluation of the Kentucky Preschool Program (KPP) focused on two broad areas: (1) readiness for kindergarten; and (2) promotion of language and literacy in the classroom and at home. Key findings include the following: (1) most children who were ineligible because of family income status successfully transitioned to kindergarten; (2) several…

This document presents congressional testimony regarding effective early childhood education. Opening statements presented by Representatives Michael Castle and Dale Kildee focused on the need to examine the effectiveness of early childhood programs and address the "pre-achievement gap" between disadvantaged and advantaged preschoolers.…

The National Household Education Survey (NHES) is an ongoing project of the National Center for Education Statistics. The NHES used random digit dial sampling and computer-assisted telephone interviewing to conduct studies on important education issues. There are 13 NHES data sets, covering 6 broad educational topics. The six NHES components on…