Discusses how and why accidents with toys happen and provides guidelines for selection of safe and developmentally appropriate toys. Covers selection of toys for infants, toddlers, and preschool children and includes a list of examples of unsafe toys and their manufacturers. (EV)

Offers a Tangram Teaching Guide that provides a five-step developmental sequence for teaching tangramming to young children. Includes teaching resources and a checklist summarizing the teaching sequence. Asserts that tangram experiences help children develop positive attitudes toward geometry, further their shape identification and classification…

Had children sample beverage and plain cottage cheese sweetened with either sugar or Sweet One as part of a sensory difference test, as well as rank four vanilla puddings sweetened with sugar and three FDA approved sweeteners. Found that participants could tell the difference in beverage but not cottage cheese, and that there was no consensus on…

Examined observed occurrences of written knowledge exchanges embedded in kindergartners' play interactions while at the computer. Found that computers, with and without speech-synthesized feedback, placed in an environment that fosters playful written language exploration, can contribute to learning about functions and features of print; however,…

Last in four-part series on infant and toddler development, discusses professionalism in the context of required caregiving beliefs and practices in working with infants and toddlers. Presents four "common threads" of professionalism that transcend level of education and experience--specialized knowledge of children's development, partnership with…

Asserts that the key to assisting those trying to negotiate the "survival" dimensions of their first years as teachers or center directors is immediate responsiveness to concerns and needs. Recommends on-site mentors to support first-year teachers/administrators in reflective practice and to serve as sounding board, colleague, coach, and friend.…

Describes On Board Early, a Baltimore program designed to increase family-school experiences that support children's success. Discusses such program features as specialized family involvement staff, a parents-as-teachers program, a family-centered approach to supporting the transition to school, and planning for long-term family involvement.…

Examines the benefits of corporate child care for employers and employees. Identifies the lack of research on how corporate-sponsored child care affects children. Lists guidelines for assessing the quality of corporate-sponsored child care. (Author/KB)

Suggests ways early childhood teachers can cope with the challenge of including infants and preschoolers with special needs in classrooms with typically developing children. Includes suggestions for addressing the needs of the group and for enhancing the comfort and learning of each child. (Author)

Reviews research on biting among children in child care settings. Reports a study examining procedures established to handle biting by child care facilities in a southeastern state, which found that 60% of respondents (n=326) handled biting incidents, but only one third reported a policy on biting. Fewer than 3% understood the developmental nature…

Reviews research on differences between children's and teachers' view of play and presents a continuum of activities from work to play. Found that teachers believed that some academic work presented in game form was play, whereas children focused on voluntary choice and self-direction as key elements in play. Suggests ways in which teachers might…

Discusses how teaching young children to make picture books provides opportunities to record and share personal experiences in a format that integrates linguistic and visual modes of thought and expression. Picture bookmaking can empower young children as they gain understanding in how the text and image work together to tell the story. (KB)

Compared school readiness as understood by kindergarten teachers in 11 rural Missouri communities with results of national Carnegie study of 7,000 kindergarten teachers. Found that Missouri teachers judged their students as more ready than did the national sample, and a greater portion believed that children are more ready now than five years ago.…

Outlines a method of storytelling and movement whereby the teacher tells a story and the children rework and dance the story. Describes supporting scholarly and philosophical concepts; classic myths of many cultures are noted as most appropriate for this process. Suggests that this method enhances cognitive function, stimulates imagination,…

Discusses frequently asked questions, presents common concerns, and gives suggestions for families and parents in five areas related to children's home computer use: (1) software selection; (2) computer time; (3) the Internet; (4) family interaction; and (5) supervision. (KB)