Examined 2- to 5-year-olds' play with peers in their child care classroom and on the playground. Found that children were more likely to engage in interactive dramatic play outdoors than indoors. Outdoors, older children were more likely to interact with peers than were younger children. Outdoors offered older children functional and dramatic play…

Explored preschoolers' solitary-active play in the presence of peers as a marker for maladjustment among 153 children. Found that, compared to peers, children with frequent solitary-active behaviors were temperamentally less attentive, were more difficult to soothe, behaved more shyly, displayed more externalizing problems, performed more poorly…

This longitudinal study correlated block play performance at age 4 to mathematics achievement for third-, fifth-, and seventh-graders, and high school students. No correlation was found between block performance and standardized mathematics tests or grades in elementary school. Beginning in middle school and through high school grades, a positive…

This article provides qualitative description of behaviors that bring children to musical competence by age 5 in Nharira Communal Lands in Zimbabwe. Based on observation of three villages comprised of multiple extended family groups, the narrative focuses on area demographics, the community's people, musical influences, musical interactions of…

Examined 10 early childhood teachers' views regarding curricular trends for young children, their teaching practices, and systemic constraints affecting their teaching. Teachers were identified as advocates, resistors, or traditionalists. Systemic constraints identified included early academics, reading wars, and standardized testing. Teachers…

Describes how chaos theory can be used to understand the nature of quality in early care and education settings. Reviews research on quality and quality initiatives, noting challenges to such quality enhancement initiatives. Details an application of the tenets of chaos theory to early care and educational settings, and includes recommendations…

This qualitative study examined experiences of teachers, parents, and administrators related to standardized kindergarten entrance assessment to identify strengths and weaknesses of standardized testing in kindergarten. Strengths emerging from the data included consistency of information with core curriculum, and the time and opportunity to begin…

Compared views and practices of kindergarten, first-, and second-grade teachers with those of third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade teachers regarding student assessment. Found that both groups valued and used a variety of assessment measures but did not value or use standardized test scores. Both groups believed that parents should be involved in…

Used content analysis and grounded theory methods to examine professional beliefs about teaching and learning among 298 Taiwanese early childhood preservice teachers. Found that beliefs can be organized systematically to construct useful patterns of interrelationships among belief components, such as teachers' roles, images of classroom practice,…

Investigated definitions and perceptions of multicultural education among 103 preservice early childhood education students. Found that students' definitions illustrated minimal understanding of multicultural education, limited to race and ethnicity. Most students constructed their definitions from college courses. Participants witnessed…

Evaluated a professional development project, Constructing and Networking for Multiage Learning, which gave teachers Internet access and support for more constructivist teaching. Found that teachers initially modified their teaching, but reverted to more traditional practices by the end of 3 years. Although most became successful technology users,…

Describes one teacher education college's experiences with designing and implementing technology standards for teachers, as required by the International Society for Technology in Education. Addresses program rationale, initial implementation, division of content, feedback from faculty and students, and effects on instruction. (JPB)

Discusses the use of the constructivist model for teaching the effective uses of computer technology. Details five computer-based constructivist projects based on a problem-solving format: Computer-Supported Intentional Learning Environment (CSILE), Learning Through Collaborative Visualization Project (CoVis), Computer Clubhouse, JASPER, and…

Discusses use of Vygotsky's zone of proximal development as a theoretical construct for designing Ecolab educational software. Describes an evaluation of the software with elementary school students, noting the usefulness of the ZPD construct despite students' inability to set up challenging tasks and seek appropriate assistance. Considers issues…

Describes how fifth-graders with home Internet access used an Internet chat application after school, and discusses changes in the patterns of chat room usage over a 1-year period. Considers gender differences in chat room usage, as well as implications for curriculum design, student-teacher interactions, and the role of chat in teaching and…