Describes the holiday celebration of Dia de los Muertos at Pacific Oaks Children's School in Los Angeles. Considers the decision to celebrate the holiday, preparation for the celebration, its place in the curriculum, its relationship to Halloween, adult conflicts related to personal religious values, children's misunderstanding of the rituals, and…

Describes implementation of the Reggio Approach in a university preschool. Summarizes the learning assumptions and teaching methods used. Examines the parent-teacher, teacher-teacher, and teacher-child partnerships; and describes and reflects on student projects related to dinosaurs, kites, castles, princes, and princesses. Discusses the impact on…

Presents suggestions for creating a classroom environment where young children's thinking and reasoning processes are supported. Discusses organizing time blocks for predictability and flexibility and organizing the physical space, including providing access to work spaces and access to materials. (KB)

Examines ways of using collaboration to address the needs of young children with disabilities through Individualized Family Service Plans. Discusses collaborating among professionals and parents; identifying existing routines within the family and professional setting; developing family and child goals through listening, incorporating goals with…

Describes development of the Kaiser Child Service Centers at the Kaiser Shipbuilding Company (Portland, Oregon) during World War II, child-care centers created through the Lanham Act. Describes staff recruitment and the services provided. Maintains that the Kaiser Center set a new standard for child care and helped to shape the field of early…

Describes the use of a preschool Parents' Box, a set of activity kits for parents and children to use together, including books, puppets, puzzles, music and dance supplies, and art projects. Provides examples of the labels for the activities, each providing instructions and a suggested age level. Notes that parents and children responded…

Discusses four principles involved in teaching beginning reading most effectively, related to: (1) the literacy environment at home, child care, and school; (2) experiences to develop concepts and related vocabulary; (3) developing understanding of purposes of print; and (4) enjoying books and being read to. Discusses how these principles can be…

Describes how the collaboration of teachers with different educational philosophies and a monthly joint project led to the development of a trial multiage classroom with pre-first and pre-kindergarten students. Maintains that differences in educational philosophies can help provide the means to create a balanced environment for children and…

Examined the impact of a two-year leadership training program that used a problem-centered and site-specific curriculum for program directors to improve the quality of 14 early childhood programs in the Chicago area and to increase the number of programs receiving accreditation from NAEYC. Found that administrators expanded their repertoire of…

Illustrates trends and issues associated with public policies promoting early childhood program accreditation. Describes differential rate policies in Florida, New Mexico, Kentucky, Mississippi, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Oklahoma; support provided for accreditation in Arizona, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Texas, and Wisconsin; and linking…

Reviews recent research offering guidance on how early childhood programs might strengthen ties with parents. Examines dimensions of parent and staff confidence in each other, and offers responsive strategies for engaging parents. Recommends provisions that would enable programs to work closely with parents. (KB)

Summarizes organizational progress over two years of author's presidency of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Notes major activities, including development of a new organizational structure and the selection of new leadership for the NAEYC Board. (KB)

Discusses influence of mothers' transitional behaviors on their infants' and toddlers' transitions to out-of-home care, emphasizing how caregivers can support mothers. Addresses three concerns mothers have in placing children in day care: the view that a mother's place is at home, the issue of trusting the caregiver, and the cost of high-quality…

Addresses the importance of climbing in early childhood and issues of facilitating children's climbing skills. Considers why children climb, when they learn, how they climb, socializing the climbing child, and creating safe, developmentally appropriate climbing environments for children. (JPB)

Explores the second-language learning process from the point of view of what early childhood educators need to know to understand and help young second-language-learners. Discusses types of programs for preschoolers whose home language is not English and the developmental sequence of second-language acquisition. Considers issues of supporting…