A team of facilitators describe the process and content of portfolios they create for families attending weekly playgroup sessions based on the philosophy and practices of the Parents Interacting with Infants (PIWI) model. The parent-child portfolios are a form of authentic assessment and highlight children's development within the context of…

Over the years parents, professionals, and politicians have come together to advocate on behalf of children's rights. Advocacy can occur individually, collectively, or a combination of both. Although some advocacy efforts are more successful than others, it is the process of the advocacy and voices behind it that matter most. In this guest…

Teacher educators describe a developmental process they use for preparing pre-service teachers to support preschool-age children with and without disabilities in becoming socially competent. Social competence is crucial in developing the "whole" child and may actually foster other areas of development. Using qualitative data gathered from multiple…

In this article a university professor, former student, and father describe the father's interactions with his toddler-age son within a parent-child playgroup. The authors discuss the important role of fathers, what they learned from observing the father interact with his son, and implications for teachers and other professionals.

For preschool children, ages 3 through 5, four major purposes for gathering assessment information are: identification, diagnostic evaluation, program planning, and progress monitoring. This article describes key considerations for each purpose, focusing on the instruments used to collect assessment information. Strengths and concerns of…

Inclusive child care programs are built upon planning and implementation that includes all educators. Currently, there is a gap between early childhood educators and early childhood special educators. This gap can be bridged by concentrating on commonalities in educational practices, instructional strategies, and interventions. (JW)