To the Reader

Topic Guide

Selected World Wide Web Sites

UNIT 1 Perspectives

Five selections consider developments in early childhood education.

Overview

The 20th Century's Best and Worst Education Ideas

James W. Guthrie

As we look back on the past century, what were the most successful and least successful education ideas implemented in the United States? James Guthrie asserts that educational reform will be achieved when we learn from mistakes in our past and build on the positive experiences that have improved education for all.

Wired for Thought

Sharon Begley

Information about brain development continues to be disseminated in scholarly journals as well as magazines for the public. Newsweek produced an entire issue in 2000 titled ``Your Child: Birth to Three,'' devoted to what is known about how young children grow and develop. This selection, taken from that issue, examines how a young child's brain and thought process develop.

Using Early Childhood Brain Development Research

Nina Sazer O'Donnell

The research on brain development can only help to improve the quality of early childhood programs if we disseminate the message. Nina O'Donnell provides three broad strategies for using this research with families, policy makers, and community agencies. She also includes resources through which teachers can gather more information.

Starting Early: The Why and How of Preschool Education

Rebecca Jones

Public school boards are beginning to recognize that quality education must start before the primary grades. Many schools have gotten into the business of preschool education. They realize that quality learning will only occur when children have the necessary developmentally appropriate experiences. Teachers who are trained in early childhood education are among the key positive components for these early experiences.

What Makes Good Early Childhood Teachers? Sally Cartwright

Young Children

Anyone considering entering, or already in, the early care and education profession will benefit from Sally Cartwright's frank discussion. She outlines necessary skills that teachers should possess. Listed are integrity, a strong theoretical background, warmth and respect, and other key qualities. This article is a must-read for all who teach young children.

UNIT 2 Child Development and Families

Six selections consider the effects of family life on the growing child and the importance of parent education.

Overview

Our Window to the Future

T Berry Brazelton

Stanley Greenspan

T. Berry Brazelton and Stanley Greenspan two highly respected physicians, examine what young children need, in addition to basic care needs, to develop and thrive. They explore the need for developing caring relationships, developmentally appropriate experiences, and supportive communities.

Fetal Psychology

Janet L. Hopson

New research has afforded an opportunity for us to learn much more about the extraordinary development that takes place in the womb. Janet Hopson describes fetal ability to hear, taste, smell, see, and learn.

Teach '5 a Day' and the Pyramid for Better Nutrition

The nutritional needs of children 2-6 are very different from those of adults. It is important for children to receive the proper nutrition while their brains and bodies are in the development stage. Ideas are given for nutritional activities as well as good sources for various vitamins found in foods.

Do Working Parents Make the Grade?

Ellen Galinsky

What if parents received a grade for their parenting abilities and involvement in their child's education? Would we see improved skills? Ellen Galinsky asked parents and children to list qualities of good parents. She then asked children to grade their working parents.

Fathers' Involvement in Programs for Young Children

Vicki P. Turbiville

Gardner T. Umbarger

Anne C. Guthrie

There is a strong correlation between the involvement of a father in his child's education and the child's academic achievement. Strategies are given for getting fathers involved both in the school setting and at home.

Children of Divorce: 25 Years Later

Hara Estroff Marano

The author highlights Judith Wallerstein's book The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce: A 25-Year Landmark Study, which chronicles adults whose parents divorced when they were young children. The impact the divorce had on their lives as children as well as adults is reported. Wallerstein followed 130 children for over a quarter of a century to gather her data.

UNIT 3 Care and Educational Practices

Sixteen selections examine various educational programs, assess the effectiveness of some teaching methods, and consider some of the problems faced by students with special needs.

Overview

A. CARING FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

Who Cares for Kids?

Sheryl Fragin

This annual survey of states tracks the expansion of preschool programs and factors that indicate quality. The keys to ratings of the states include teacher training, playground safety, and size. The number of accredited centers is a crucial measure of quality child care in each state.

The Petite Elite

Michelle Galley

Upscale child care, which appeals to well-to-do parents, is expanding across the nation. These centers offer high-quality care, well-trained teachers, and an innovative curriculum. They feature outdoor play spaces uniquely designed for physical action.

B. EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES

Alike and Different: Teaching Children to Appreciate Diversity

Francis Wardle

Frances Wardle indicates that in order for teachers to help young children appreciate differences, they need to understand child development stages. Teachers can then nurture concept learning of multicultural factors. Effective preschool programs affirm the diversity of children and community.

Teaching Principals, Parents, and Colleagues About Developmentally Appropriate Practice

Esther H. Egley

Robert J. Egley

Teachers need to be able to support their beliefs regarding developmentally appropriate practice. The authors suggest the sharing of articles about the importance of play or methods of assessment in the primary grades, as well as keeping current by reviewing research on vital issues of teaching and learning.

All They Do Is Play? Play in Preschool

Angie Dorrell

Valuable learning takes place during children's play. As they engage in preschool center play, children enhance their creativity. They also develop language and practice social skills. Angie Dorrell notes that an important teachers role is to ensure that every center has good equipment and materials.

Six Head Start Classrooms Begin to Explore the Reggio Emilia Approach

Catherine Wilson Gillespie

Several preschool programs have discovered that the Reggio Emilia approach is very compatible with Head Start standards. As they collaborate to make changes, teachers are emphasizing child-initiated projects and authentic ways of assessment.

The ``In's and Out's'' of Designing Play Areas for Early Childhood Settings

Donna Thompson

Susan Hudson

Mick Mack

Play areas that are developmentally appropriate promote positive behaviors and decrease aggressive behaviors. Teachers have an easier time guiding behavior if equipment and materials are the right size and adequately positioned. Play sites must be safe for children to learn and grow, without fear of danger.

Make or Break

Debra Viadero

Transition years are difficult times for both preschool and primary grade children. They experience increased academic skill work and pressure to perform. In each grade, the children's work becomes less developmentally appropriate. There is little continuity as they move from grade to grade.

Laying the Foundation for Literacy: An Anti-Bias Approach

Patricia Corson

According to Patricia Corson, today's preschool programs can maintain multicultural diversity while supporting literacy development. Implementing an antibias curriculum is the key, since it is respectful of diversity. It also accepts the validity of family languages and cultures.

Playtime Is Cancelled

Kelly King Alexander

In an effort to raise test scores, many schools are limiting children's play and increasing the amount of time spent on academics. Some schools are designed without playgrounds, due to health and safety issues. Critics are concerned that children's motor development will suffer.

Ordeal With a No. 2 Pencil

Daniel McGinn

Testing plays a big role in the ways teachers teach. Daniel McGinn reviews ways that families must deal with the results of children's low scores on standardized tests. As assessment of children's progress increases, families are taking advantage of new products and resources to boost scores.

``But What's Wrong with Letter Grades?'' Responding to Parents' Questions About Alternative Assessment

Linda Doutt Culbertson

Mary Renck Jalongo

Introducing alternative assessment procedures to parents and helping them to be aware of the additional information they will receive on their child is an important job of the teacher Parents may be unfamiliar with evaluation techniques other than letter grades. Teachers should educate parents about the various methods of gathering information on their children's progress.

C. SPECIAL NEEDS

How Reggio Emilia Encourages Inclusion

Rebecca K. Edmiaston

Linda May Fitzgerald

Preschool programs that desire to be more inclusive may find that using the Reggio Emilia approach helps them to reach their goal. One of the fundamental strategies of the approach is collaboration, which is also a priority of inclusion. The approach also emphasizes the project-based curriculum--a key to success for children with diverse abilities.

Reinforcement in Developmentally Appropriate Early Childhood Classrooms

Tashawna K. Duncan

Kristen M. Kemple

Tina M. Smith

Teachers working with special needs children may need to devise alternative strategies for guiding behavior Reinforcement to lessen aggressive behavior can be compatible with developmentally appropriate practices. In selecting reinforcers, teachers must be aware of children's social development and diversity.

Including Young Children With Special Needs

Ilene S. Schwartz

Samuel L. Odom

Susan R. Sandall

As more and more children with special needs are included in early childhood programs, teachers need appropriate skills that will make the experience successful for all involved. Inclusion can be positive with the right information, preparation, support, and collaboration.

Emergent Literacy in an Early Childhood Classroom: Center Learning to Support the Child with Special Needs

Margaret Genisio

Mary Drecktrah

Special needs children benefit from learning centers where scaffolding is used to reinforce concepts. These centers are particularly useful for enhancing emergent literacy at the pre-school level.

UNIT 4 Guiding and Supporting Young Children

Four selections examine the importance of establishing self-esteem and motivation in the child and consider the effects of stressors such as violence on behavior.

Overview

``Teacher! He Hit Me!'' ``She Pushed Me!''-Where Does It Start? How Can It Stop?

Linda Wolf son-Steinberg

One sign of a successful, quality, early childhood classroom is positive peer interactions. To reduce aggressive behavior, a teacher must work with both the child and family. Communicating with parents is often the most difficult aspect of guiding behavior.

The Why and Wherefore

Barbara Kaiser

Judy Sklar Rasminsky

According to the authors the causes of aggressive behavior include biological risk and environmental risk. Prenatal stress and exposure to violence are two major factors. Teachers can assist children to cope with adversity, and thereby reduce challenging behaviors.

Television Violence and Its Effects on Young Children

Betty Jo Simmons

Kelly Stalsworth

Heather Wentzel

A main concern with television programming is the amount of violence that preschool children see. Parents have the major role in monitoring television and teachers assist by diffusing aggressive behaviors in the classroom.

Adverse Effects of Witnessing Violence

Victor LaCerva

When children have witnessed or have been involved in a violent situation there are intervention strategies that have proven to be successful. Calm and consistent routines carried out by familiar adults will help to ease the effects of violence. Teachers can assist families to help children deal with extremely difficult experiences.

UNIT 5 Curricular Issues

Nine selections consider various curricular choices. The areas covered include play, authentic learning, emergent literacy, motor development, technology, and conceptualizing curriculum.

Overview

Make the Most of Learning Centers

Marie W. Sloane

Marie Sloane encourages teachers to take what they know about how young children best learn, through active learning, and apply it to the classroom environment. She outlines the importance of hands-on learning experiences and describes how learning centers can be an integral part of a classroom for young children.

Why Curriculum Matters in Early Childhood Education

Lawrence J. Schweinhart

David P. Weikart

With the debate over the importance of early childhood programs turning into which type of program is best for young children, close scrutiny of the curriculum and the role of the teacher is under way. For more than 30 years Lawrence Schweinhart and David Weikart have examined preschool programs. Here they report that developmentally appropriate programs are far superior to direct instruction programs in many areas.

Isn't That Cute? Transforming the Cute Curriculum Into Authentic Learning

Lynn Kirkland

Jerry Aldridge

Patricia Kuby

Appropriate curriculum for young children should be authentic and relevant, not just cute. Teachers who get caught up in planning activities without examining how the children will contribute to or benefit from the experience are missing out on child-centered learning.

Productive Questions: Tools for Supporting Constructivist Learning

Mary Lee Martens

Learning to ask appropriate, productive questions is a skill that teachers need to develop. Mary Lee Martens includes strategies for teachers to consider when asking questions that will support constructivist learning.

Let's Play Blocks! Creating Effective Learning Experiences for Young Children

Pamela Phelps

Mary Frances Hamline

Pick up any history of early childhood textbook and you will see that blocks have played an integral role in the overall curriculum for well over 150 years. They are one of the most important pieces of equipment and materials in the classroom. Strategies are provided by the authors that will enhance the overall effectiveness of play with blocks.

Arts and Young Children: In Support of Drama in Early Childhood Education, Again

Lou Furman

Dramatic play experiences that are encouraged and supported in an early childhood classroom enable children to use language, thought, and creativity Teachers who value dramatic play are sending the message that children are free to explore other roles, voices, and characters through their play.

Starting On the Write Foot: Helping Parents Understand How Children Learn to Read and Write

Julia Butler

Carolee Liss

Peggy Sterner

This article is a must-read for teachers who want to better understand the emergent literacy process or who field questions from parents about early literacy, especially writing. The authors, all teachers, provide many examples of children's initial attempts at writing as well as suggestions for parents to understand the literacy process.

Reworking the Workshop for Math and Science

Daniel Heuser

Learning that is based on exploration and discovery allows children to draw conclusions and reflect on their learning. Science workshops, as described by Daniel Heuser, encourage children to be actively involved in their learning experiences.

Red Rover, Red Rover, It's Time to Move Over!

Lynn Staley

Penelope A. Portman

Involving children in physical activity requires much more from the teacher than simply letting children play childhood games. Children need active experiences, not long periods of waiting to be chosen that occur in traditional games. The authors recommend a rethinking of some of the activities we offer young children.

UNIT 6 Trends

Seven selections consider the present and future of early childhood education.

Overview

Kids Need an Early Start

Isabel Sawhill

A critical factor in later school performance is proving to be high quality early learning experiences. The best results are from preschools that provide comprehensive service and education for targeted families. These programs show gains for children in both cognitive functioning and social development.

Holding Back the Years: Is ``Redshirting'' Your Kindergartner Really Such a Great Idea?

Lisa Gubernick

Deciding when to send a child to kindergarten has become a serious matter for many families. Lisa Gubernick asserts that one of the most frequent factors in determining whether to ``red shirt'' is the child's potential in academics. Mandatory assessment has increased the number of children being held back.

Learning to Go With the Grain of the Brain

John Abbott

Terence Ryan

New understandings about learning and the brain lead to new ways of teaching that emphasize mastery of skill and knowledge. We are discovering that metacognition strategies are teachable.

Why Students Lose When ``Tougher Standards'' Win: A Conversation With Alfie Kohn

John O'Neil

Carol Tell

When uniform standards for learning are used in school systems, diversity and developmentally appropriate practice are no longer a priority. Increased academic rigor translates into more testing and less authentic learning.

Achieving Excellence in Education

Barbara Bowman

Excellence in early education is founded in developmentally appropriate practice, which means that teaching incorporates new information on how the brain functions. Curriculum is constructive and balanced between basic and intellectual skills. To measure authentic learning, assessment takes place over time.

CDA at 25: Reflections on the Past and Projections for the Future

Sue Bredekamp

Sue Bredekamp reports that the CDA credential in child development has had a major impact on the early childhood profession. The CDA training program has provided staff for Head Start programs and preschools. It has been particularly effective in credentialing infant/toddler staff.

Early Learning, Later Success: The Abecedarian Study, Executive Summary

Frank Porter Graham

As this study demonstrates, intervention in the form of high-quality child care for children from low-income families leads to an increase in academic success, even into early adulthood. Language, reading, and mathematics skills are especially enhanced.

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