Describes four child-focused and child-sensitive curricular and instructional strategies to increase teachers' understanding of children and quality of teaching: (1) multiple intelligences and different ways of knowing; (2) the Project Approach; (3) the writer's workshop; and (4) balancing reading strategies and cueing systems. Discusses…

Discusses how the whole-language process provides an authentic approach to lifelong learning. Includes discussions of Cambourne's conditions for learning; Holdaway's natural learning model; Goodman's miscue analysis research; whole-language theory; the role of teachers, students, and the community in language arts; and the role of the classroom…

Discusses how the early childhood program environment can be more sensitive to biracial children of black and white heritage. Considers the history of blacks in the United States; ethnic identity development in biracial children; and planning the early childhood environment, including structuring the curriculum, securing information about the…

Discusses how prop boxes enhance learning and are resources in multicultural and nonsexist primary education, focusing on play, experimentation, and cooperation. Examines integration of prop boxes into the curricula and activities, and presents examples of generic and specific multicultural prop boxes that incorporate art, music, foods,…

Discusses development of an antibias social studies unit on homes, based on Maslow's hierarchy of human needs. Recommends examining the assumptions introduced in such units and obtaining background information on students' homes. Unit components include a web to introduce the unit, a community walk, visual displays, learning centers, and…

Presents a social studies unit on house building for 5- to 7-year olds. Discusses rationale for the project approach and outlines unit components. Describes the three components of the curriculum planning strategy: (1) impression activities; (2) extension activities; and (3) expression activities. Discusses experiences during unit implementation…

Discusses current research on how children understand the symbol system and its link to meaning; how they learn to write like authors, including editing and writing for different audiences; how they learn to become literary critics and to discover new worlds in books; and how different classroom contexts can encourage different types of literacy…

Examines stresses on the early childhood service system due to the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. Discusses elimination of Aid to Families with Dependent Children; creation of state block grants, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and Child Care and Development Fund; and restructuring of the Child…

Discusses mentoring as a professional development strategy to meet the needs of experienced and novice practitioners. Defines mentoring and differentiates it from supervision. Discusses the following aspects of early childhood mentoring programs: (1) goals and assumptions; (2) design and structure, including mentor qualifications and training; (3)…

Presents a hypothetical dilemma illustrating the need for parent empowerment in early childhood education for use in applying the National Association for the Education of Young Children's Code of Ethics. Considers including parents in important decisions, honoring responsibilities to parents, and implementing the spirit of the code. Discusses…

Encourages the appreciation of music through listening, responding with body movement, and sharing with children. Points out that early childhood educators and children who are nonmusicians can make and understand music. Identifies basic problems with preschool teachers' current practices in using music with young children and provides a list of…

Describes an early childhood educator's experience in using the Orff-Schulwerk approach in a preschool environment. Discusses the combination of whole language and Orff-Schulwerk approaches. Provides information on how to build a repertoire of music and words and create the reading/writing connection. Provides a list of sources for Orff-Schulwerk…

Discusses the importance of the Reggio Emilia approach in relation to cultural and professional attitudes. Claims that the preschools of Reggio Emilia have evolved to their current preeminence because those involved in Italy have set themselves the task of overcoming the impediments to dialog. Encourages the development of communities of inquiry…

Discusses the importance of science education in early childhood education and describes different approaches in incorporating physics into the preschool curriculum. Provides examples of experiments and encourages parent participation in children's science activities. Concludes by looking at science as an equity issue and emphasizes that science…

Describes an early childhood educator's approach to teaching children about rain, rainbows, clouds, precipitation, the sun, air, and wind. Recommends ways to organize study topics and describes experiments that can help children better understand the different elements of weather. (MOK)