As part of a larger project begun three years after the adoption of the Australian Early Childhood Association (AECA) Code of Ethics, this study sought practitioners' views about formal enforcement of a code of ethics for early childhood personnel. Questionnaires were sent to directors of 200 early childhood services in New South Wales; about 225…

This two-part study examined aspects of family environments that are considered to be influential in the development of young children's creativity. Mothers of children ages 4 to 6 years were surveyed on their valuing of particular personality characteristics (The Ideal Child Checklist) and specific features of the home environment (The Creative…

The 1990s has seen a dramatic shift in the desired orientation of early intervention services, involving a movement away from child-centered approaches in assessment and intervention to a family-centered approach in service delivery. This study attempted to contribute to the little research available on the efficacy of the family-centered…

Performance in drama, dance, music, puppetry, or combinations of these arts can be an exciting encounter for young children. This case study investigated one 4-year-old's responses to a children's opera. Her responses before, during, and after the performance were systematically observed and analyzed. Data showed that the child had some knowledge…

Recent studies of teachers and teaching pay greater attention to relationships among teaching contexts, teachers' practical knowledge, and enacted curricula. As a contribution to this body of work, this study grappled with the problem of understanding the knowledge teachers use to create curricula within workplace demands. Survey, participant…

Examines how 81 early childhood education students responded to the presentation of a cultural-contextual approach during a human development course. Notes evidence for only a small degree of success in conveying the approach in terms of students actually mentioning course-related issues. Describes course setting and objectives, and evaluation of…

Assessed language quality of 15 four-year olds with three conversational partners: a center-care teacher, an older child, and a younger child. Data coded included number of turns, utterances, gaps, statements versus questions, contingent responses, and amount of self-talk. Found that children take more turns with an adult but produce fewer…

Examines how the forms used by teachers to document planning and assess children's progress affect three child care center teachers' practice and expectations for young children. Narratives are constructed using qualitative methods to show how requirements for documentation may lead teachers to override goals of developmentally appropriate…

Questioned day care center children during free play about their collective activity to determine how the representation of cooperation is structured and what kind of transformation appears during development. Found a developmental trend of representation of group activity after age 2. Results highlight the importance of group and day care center…

Discusses multicultural education policy in Canada in terms of a proposed redefinition toward a framework involving revision of the norm to include all groups of students. Argues that although the vision of multicultural education presented in Ghosh's book provides valuable suggestions of what multicultural education in Canada should be like, the…

Argues for the place of mathematical literacy in a just society, and examines the value of the reform movement in mathematics education toward multiculturalism and whole language from the experience of a fifth-grade teacher of mathematics. Critically examines classroom activities suggested by Zaslavsky's book in terms of appropriateness for…

Discusses the value of this book's comprehensive approach to early childhood education and child care in the Canadian context. Considers the importance of a foundation of reflective practice in the interpersonal aspects of child care, and the importance of a working partnership with parents, and guiding children's behavior. Also notes the value of…

Examines cultural conditions necessary for children's development in day care settings, using Bronfenbrenner's Ecology of Human Development. Considers the parental role in this context; also the relationship between educators and parents, with a view to creating culturally appropriate conditions for the developing child. Discusses policies and…

Two studies documented gender differences in preschool children's responses to situations of vulnerability. Children playing with same sex friends showed no sex differences in time responding to vulnerability; some sex differences were noted in response type. Children's preferences for vignettes representing categories of response to the same…

Examined the association between kindergarten-level child care quality and legislated requirements regarding staff-to-child ratio and staff training, across eight Canadian provinces. Found that classrooms in provinces with the highest requirements for staff education levels had the highest quality ratings. Association between staff to child ratio…