Preface

Introduction: Early Childhood Education

PART 1 CHILDREN IN FAMILIES AND SOCIETY

Is Early Maternal Employment Harmful to Young Children?

Yes: Andrew Peyton Thomas, from ``A Dangerous Experiment in Child-Rearing,'' The Wall Street Journal (January 8, 1998)

No: Elizabeth Harvey, from ``Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of Early Parental Employment on Children of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth,'' Developmental Psychology (March 1999)

Should Brain Science Guide Educational Practice?

Yes: Sharon Begley, from ``How to Build a Baby's Brain,'' Newsweek (Spring/Summer 1997)

No: John T. Bruer, from ``Brain Science, Brain Fiction,'' Educational Leadership (November 1998)

Should Young Children Use Computers?

Yes: Susan W. Haugland, from ``What Role Should Technology Play in Young Children's Learning?'' Young Children (November 1999)

No: Alliance for Childhood. from ``Fool's Gold: A Critical Look at Computers and Childhood,'' A Report of the Alliance for Childhood, http://www.allianceforchildhood.net/projects/computers/computers_reports_fools_gold_exec.htm (September 11, 2000)

Is Time-Out an Effective Discipline Technique?

Yes: Lawrence Kutner, from ``The Truth About Time-Out,'' Parents (April 1996)

No: Mary Ellis Schreiber, from ``Time-Outs for Toddlers: Is Our Goal Punishment or Education?'' Young Children (July 1999)

Does Television Viewing Cause Violent Behavior in Young Children?

Yes: Betty Jo Simmons, Kelly Stalsworth, and Heather Wentzel, from ``Television Violence and Its Effects on Young Children,'' Early Childhood Education Journal (1999)

No: Jonathan L. Freedman, from ``Violence in the Mass Media and Violence in Society: The Link Is Unproven,'' Harvard Mental Health Letter (May 1996)

Is Spanking an Effective Method of Discipline?

Yes: Lynn Rosellini, from ``When to Spank,'' U.S. News & World Report (April 13, 1998)

No: Nadine Block, from ``Abandon the Rod and Save the Child,'' The Humanist (March/April 2000)

Should Superhero Play Be Discouraged?

Yes: Marjorie Hampton, from ``Limiting Superhero Play in Preschool Classrooms: A Philosophy Statement,'' Texas Child Care (Winter 1995)

No: Brenda J. Boyd, from ``Teacher Response to Superhero Play: To Ban or Not to Ban?'' Childhood Education (Fall 1997)

Should Parent Participation in Schools Be Required?

Yes: Kathleen Kelley-Laine, from ``Parents as Partners in Schooling: The Current State of Affairs,'' Childhood Education (1998)

No: Mark J. Cooper and Mary H. Mosley, from ``Warning: Parental Involvement May Be Hazardous,'' Principal (March 1999)

Does Homework in the Primary Grades Improve Academic Performance?

Yes: Carol Huntsinger, from ``Does K-S Homework Mean Higher Test Scores?'' American Teacher (April 1999)

No: Romesh Ratnesar, from ``The Homework Ate My Family,'' Time (January 25, 1999)

PART 2 CHILDREN IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS

Do At-Risk Young Children Learn Best Through Active Learning Experience?

Yes: Lawrence J. Schweinhart and David P. Weikart, from ``Why Curriculum Matters in Early Childhood Education,'' Educational Leadership (March 1998)

No: Siegfried Engelmann, from ``The Benefits of Direct Instruction: Affirmative Action for At-Risk Students,'' Educational Leadership (September 1999)

Should All Children Be Five Years of Age Before Starting Kindergarten?

Yes: Nancie L. Katz, from ``Too Young for Kindergarten?'' The Christian Science Monitor (July 21, 1997)

No: Samuel J. Meisels, from ``Out of the Readiness Maze,'' Momentum (April/May 1995)

Is Full-Day Kindergarten Best for All Children?

Yes: Patricia Clark and Elizabeth Kirk, from ``All-Day Kindergarten,'' Childhood Education (Summer 2000)

No: Deborah Olsen and Edward Zigler, from ``An Assessment of the All-Day Kindergarten Movement,'' Early Childhood Research Quarterly (June 1989)

Should Recess Be Included in a School Day?

Yes: Anthony D. Pellegrini and David F. Bjorklund, from ``The Place of Recess in School: Issues in the Role of Recess in Children's Education and Development,'' journal of Research in Childhood Education (Fall/Winter 1996)

No: Kelly King Alexander, from ``Playtime Is Cancelled,'' Parents (November 1999)

Are Multi-Age Programs Best for Young Children?

Yes: Wendy C. Kasten, from ``Why Does Multiage Make Sense? Compelling Arguments for Educational Change,'' Primary Voices K-6 (April 1998)

No: DeWayne A. Mason and Roland W. Doepner III, from ``Principals' Views of Combination Classes,'' The Journal of Educational Research (January/February 1998)

Is the Whole-Language Approach the Best Way to Teach Reading?

Yes: Steve Zemelman, Harvey Daniels, and Marilyn Bizar, from ``Sixty Years of Reading Research-But Who's Listening?'' Phi Delta Kappan (March 1999)

No: National Reading Panel, from ``Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and Its Implications for Reading Instruction,'' A Report of the National Reading Panel, http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/nrp/smallbook.htm(April 12, 2000)

Is Class Size Reduction the Most Effective Way to Improve Educational Performance?

Yes: John A. Zahorik, from ``Reducing Class Size Leads to Individualized Instruction,'' Educational Leadership (September 1999)

No: Eric A. Hanushek, from ``Class Size Reduction: Good Politics, Bad Education Policy,'' The High School Magazine (January/February 1999)

Is Grade Retention a Sound Educational Practice?

Yes: Joellen Perry, from ``What, Ms. Crabapple Again?'' U.S. News & World Report (May 24, 1999)

No: William A. Owings and Susan Magliaro, from ``Grade Retention: A History of Failure,'' Educational Leadership (September 1998)

Do Multi-Year Assignments With the Same Teacher Improve Primary Students' Learning?

Yes: Karen Rasmussen, from ``Looping-Discovering the Benefits of Multiyear Teaching,'' Education Update (March 1998)

No: Allan S. Vann, from ``Looping: Looking Beyond the Hype,'' Principal (May 1997)

Contributors

Index