All Indigenous communities have a time-tested child-rearing knowledge base that reflects and honors their cultural beliefs and historical experiences. Many of these communities emphasize group harmony and collaboration and respect for the natural environment--competencies that are increasingly important on our crowded and depleted planet.…

In many cultures, early child care and education has been considered the purview of women, who were thought to be more nurturing and better suited to the role. Hand-in-hand with this notion is the historical misconception that early child care and education is unimportant, and that the most valued members of society should focus on other, more…

Reviews the literature on some of the major ways that parents and teachers influence the development of prosocial tendencies in children; they include child-rearing practices, social cognition, mood, modeling, and training. Also provides suggestions for parents and teachers to help children behave prosocially. (Author/BB)

Introduces recent ERIC documents on the effects of child care on children's development. Provides citations on eight books and four journal articles with abstracts and ordering information. (MOK)

First, explores the Dutch government's child care policy in relation to the views held by Dutch education professionals. Second, contrasts policy experts' views on child care with parents' existing needs. Suggests that government and professionals should start taking the realities of parents' and children's lives as a starting point while putting…

Describes development and implementation of the IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Assessment) Preprimary Project, a cross-national study of early childhood education and care. (BB)

Examines the literature on delayed parenting and draws educational implications for relationships between home and school. (BB)

Proposes steps to address the broad developmental needs of children at risk. Discusses implementation of the President and Governors' Education Summit national performance goals to reform the schools and improve education, especially the goal involving readiness to start school. (BB)

Reviews five books for teachers: "Connecting the Curriculum through Interdisciplinary Instruction" (Lounsbury); "Caring for Our Children. National Health and Safety Performance Standards: Guidelines for Out-of-Home Child Care Programs"; "Families and Schools in a Pluralistic Society" (Chavkin); "Team Building through Physical Challenges" (Glover…

Discusses findings providing evidence for the significance of early childhood for brain development, highlighting pivotal discoveries that should guide care and education of the young. Includes information on stages of brain wiring, critical periods, and the role of environment in brain development. Makes recommendations for broad policy changes…

Notes that current research on early brain development emphasizes early care and education. Cautions educators to interpret and correctly translate this information into appropriate, effective child care and early education practices. Highlights pros and cons of research findings in: (1) child development; (2) special needs intervention; (3) care…

Presents information for parents on children's language development prior to speaking the first word, focusing on infants' readiness to learn language. Describes ways parents can support the development of language as a social and intellectual skill, including talking early and often, using songs and poetry, describing experiences, using books,…