Notes that portfolio assessment is a promising approach to measure young children's growth, development, and achievement. Details characteristics of assessment portfolios, methods of gathering information, and tips for portfolio development. Includes examples from preschool children's portfolios. (LBT)

Notes that full inclusion of special needs children into regular early childhood settings is supported by research in terms of social and behavioral outcomes. Details observations of an inclusive preschool classroom utilizing integrated therapy for three special needs children. Highlights the themes revealed: integrated therapy and teacher…

Notes that obesity is the primary reason for peer rejection in America; examines effects of obesity on wellness, self-esteem, peer relationships, and social status of children/families and early childhood teachers. Suggests that early childhood educators: (1) educate all stakeholders about nutrition and body size issues; (2) speak out against…

Notes that the Internet can offer young children developmentally appropriate learning opportunities. Details four categories of opportunities: (1) information gathering, research and virtual field trips; (2) global communication; (3) publishing; and (4) interactive sites. Provides guidelines for site selection, notes concerns regarding children's…

Notes that attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is commonly diagnosed in the first few years of education. Details characteristics of ADHD and education interventions, including: (1) giving frequent, immediate, and specific feedback; (2) breaking tasks into smaller units; and (3) using preferred activities to reinforce appropriate…

Notes that outcomes of the "Mozart Effect" on early brain development are not thoroughly proven and presents challenges for future research. Points out that it is still unknown at what age exposure to musical concepts should begin, and that parents should allow children to pursue musical interests at their own pace to avoid burnout at a young age.…

School-age child care (SACC) is a relatively new social institution, and effective SACC programs must balance academic, recreational, and enrichment needs of child development. Outcomes of a study in two states to review program operations, staffing, activities, community involvement, and evaluation indicate that programs focus on academics and…

Service-learning is a pedagogy that promotes an action research philosophy in early childhood teacher education. Components of meaningful service-learning programs include: (1) clear interrelation with academic goals of the course; (2) student participation in the assessment process; (3) students and faculty becoming part of the community to be…

Examines the campaign to convince educators to use direct instruction programs such as DISTAR. Maintains that, although direct instruction is appropriate for low-level tasks and in desperate circumstances, direct instruction programs such as DISTAR deprofessionalize what early-childhood teachers do because it ignores their specialized training,…

Provides guidelines for creating and promoting healthy environments in early-childhood education programs in order to prevent and control the spread of contagious disease. Offers illness-prevention strategies, practical suggestions for health-education curricula, and a self-assessment check list for early-childhood settings. Includes resources for…

Examines research on television violence and links violence to specific programs commonly watched by young children. Maintains that television violence is related to aggressive behavior, lessened sensitivity to the results of violence, and increased fear. Examines public reactions to children's educational television programs. (Author/KB)

Reexamined preschoolers' gender attitudes regarding occupational roles, and the impact of use of selected children's books and planned book-related activities on thinking about gender and occupational roles. Found that although preschoolers' attitudes were still generally stereotypic, they were more flexible than in previous research regarding…

Discusses how young children with disabilities may be supported in environments with same-aged peers without disabilities. Examines the unique issues involved in supporting young children, and presents guidelines to help practitioners and families make informed decisions about creating supports for young children. Delineates examples of…

Discusses the urgent need to develop leadership in early childhood education in order to improve the quality of programming for infants, toddlers, young children, and their families. Describes five areas of leadership skills: advocacy, administrative, community, conceptual, and career development. (KB)

Examines the need for a new perspective in research on young children's writing development, one which identifies writing as a language process in which children construct meaning. Presents an example of a linguistic analysis of a child's writing. Discusses the implications for early-childhood educators of a text-focused approach to studying…