This report was compiled to serve as a partial knowledge base for the Southeastern Educational Laboratory and the Harlem Research Center in their effort to plan a research program in early education. Educational programs designed for 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children which emphasize either cognitive-intellectual development or language development are briefly reviewed and compared. The text is organized into six major sections: (1) a selection of major references in the general area of early education and of key references to establish a rationale for focusing on the cognitive-intellectual and language skills in early education for economically disadvantaged children, (2) outlines of 18 programs for which a written curriculum exists and which have been evaluated empirically, (3) abstracts of six comparative research projects on curriculum, (4) outlines of six developing programs, (5) outlines of 17 effective curriculum components and ideas and (6) implications of the reviews. Bibliographic references are included along with two appendixes. Appendix A contains abstracts of research relating to specific preschool programs. Appendix B lists addresses of preschool programs or authors. This document previously announced as ED 045 209. (WY)