DOCUMENT RESUME - ERIC · DOCUMENT RESUME. PS 006 758. Morris, Earl W., Ed. Early Childhood Education in Illinois: Focus on Kindergarten. Illinois State Office of the Superintendent

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DOCUMENT RESUME

PS 006 758

Morris, Earl W., Ed.Early Childhood Education in Illinois: Focus onKindergarten.Illinois State Office of the Superintendent of PublicInstruction, Springfield..Illinois CurriculumProgram..C-EC-17075p..Illinois Curriculum Program, Office of theSuperintendent of Public Instruction, 302 StateOffice Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706 (noprice quoted)

MF-$0.65 HC-$3.29Administrator Role; Classroom Arrangement; Curriculum

. Design; *Early Childhood Education; *EducationalPhilosophy; *Educational Planning; Films;Instructional Materials; *Kindergarten; Parent SchoolRelationship; *Resource Guides; Scheduling; SelfConcept

This guide is for teachers and administratorsinvolved in the preparation and implementation of kindergarten

.programs..Part I, in _a series of captioned photographs, reviews basicqualities and needs of young children..Part II examines historicalevents important in the development of early childhood education, anddescribes several educational approaches to kindergarten, includingtraditional, Montessori, Head Start, Bereiter-EngelMann, andmotor - sensory.. Development of a eclectic approach is recommended toserve the needs of young children..Part III discusses the major goalsof the eclectic approach, which are: (1) development of a healthyself-concept, (2) expansion of the natural lear..ing drives ofchildren, (3) the fostering of positive feelings and attitudps aboutlearning..Specific areas of curriculum are considered..Part IVsurveys areas requiring detailed planning, including first days ofschool, physical arrangement of the classroom, parent contributions,children with special needs, and scheduling issues..The role of theadministrator is considered in Part V, with respect to specificresponsibilities, decisions, and teacher expectations..Part VIreviews theoretical concepts of child development and early educationin general.. Appendixes listing professional books, sources, and filmsas well as children's books are included. (DP)

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Early Childhood Education in Illinois: Focus on

ri-4

MICHAEL J. BAKALIS001;1 -e._.11;; zupT. OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION----f^; 302 STATE OFFICE BUILDINGC=V1SpRINGFIELI), ILLINOIS 62706

U S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH,EDUCATION & WELFARENATIONAL INSTITUTE OF

EDUCATIONTHIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED F ROA/THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATIIIG IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONSSTATED DO NOT NECETSARILY RE PRESENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OFEDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY

ISRUCTIONILD I NGS 62706

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Early Childhood Education in Illinois: Focus on Kindergarten '

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN ILLINOIS:FOCUS ON KINDERGARTEN

MICHAEL is BAKALI5SUPT. OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION302 STATE OFFICE BUILDINGSPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS 62706

. ... .... . .

State of IllinoisUnited States of America

The Illinois Curriculum Program

'PERMISSION TO REPROMCE THIS COPY.RIGHTED MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY

TO ERIC AND ORGANIZATIONS OPERATINGUNDER AGREEMENTS WITH THE NATIONAL IN.STITUTE OF EDUCATION FURTHER REPRO.DUCTION OUTSIDE THE ERIC SYSTEM REOUIRES PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHTOWNER"

First Printing - 40,000 Copies

Library of Congress Catalog Number: 79-632772

Copyright, 1970

(Printed by Authority of the State of Illinois)

CURRICULUM SERIES

Bulletin Number C-EC-1

Earl W. Morris, Ph.D., EditorDirector of the Department ofCurriculum Development andThe Illinois Curriculum Program

Division of InstructionOffice of the Superintendentof Public Instruction

Cover Design Courtesy ofEdward Bydalek, AssistantDirector, Department of GraphicArts, Division of Instruction,Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction

The Publication Committee

Writing and Editorial ChairmanRebecca Baker, Ph.D.Professor of Early Childhood EducationCollege of EducationSouthern Illinois UniversityCarbondale

Miss Mary Lou AndersonAssistant ProfessorSchool of Elementary and

Junior High School TeachingEastern Illinois UniversityCharleston

Miss Rose E. FosterSupervisior Day Care LicensingIllinois Department of Children

and Family ServicesChicago

Anna Marie Gruber, Ed.D.Professor of Elementary EducationSchool of EducationWestern Illinois UniversityMacomb

J. Frances Huey, Ed.D.Professor of EducationDepartment of EducationNorthern Illinois UniversityDe Kalb

Miss Ethel MacirityreCollege SupervisorNational College of EducationEvanston

Oueenie B. Mills, Ed.D.Professor of Child DevelopmentChild Development LaboratoryUniversity of IllinoisUrhana

Mary Frances Reed, Ed.D.School of Home EconomicsNorthern Illinois UniversityDe Kalb

A

Bernard Spodek, Ph.D.Associate ProfessorElementary EducationUniversity of IllinoisUrbana

Mrs. Luceille WernerCurriculum ConsultantDepartment of Curriculum DeDivision of InstructionOffice of the Superintendent

Public InstructionSpringfield

SPECIAL WRITING GROUP

Mrs. Sylvia AckerlundPrimary TeacherN.O. Nelson SchoolEdwardsville

Mr. George P. RiccioPrincipalEllwood SchoolDe Kalb

Mr. George MendenallPrincipalLewis SchoolCarbondale

Mrs. Norma ZimmerKindergarten TeacherLeal SchoolUrbana

Mrs. Grace SkinnerPrimary TeacherRidge SchoolHomewood

ion

The Publication Committee

Writing and Editorial ChairmanRebecca Baker, Ph.D.Professor of Early Childhood EducationCollege of EducationSouthern Illinois UniversityCarbondale

Miss Mary Lou AndersonAssistant. ProfessorSchool of Elementary and

Junior High School TeachingEastern Illinois UniversityCharleston

'Miss Rose E. FosterSupervisior Day Care LicensingIllinois Department of Children

and Family ServicesChicago

Anna Marie Gruber, Ed.D.Professor of Elementary EducationSchool of educationWestern Illinois UniversityMacomb

J. Frances Huey, Ed.D.Professor of EducationDepartment of EducationNorthern Illinois UniversityDe Kalb

Miss Ethel MacmtyreCollege SupervisorNational College of EducationEvanston

Queenie B. Mills, Ed.D.Professor of Child DevelopmentChild Development LaboratoryUniversity of IllinoisUrbana

Mary Frances Reed, Ed.D.School of Home EconomicsNorthern Illinois UniversityDe Kalb

Bernard Spodek, Ph.D.Associate ProfessorElementary EducationUniversity of IllinoisUrbana

Mrs. Luceille WernerCurriculum ConsultantDepartment of Curriculum DevelopmentDivision of InstructionOffice of the Superintendent of


SPECIAL WRITING GROUP

Mrs. Sylvia AckerlundPrimary TeacherN.O. Nelson SchoolEdwardsville

Mr. George P. RiccioPrincipalEllwood SchoolDe Kalb

Mr. George MendenallPrincipalLewis SchoolCarbondale

Mrs. Norma ZimmerKindergarten TeacherLeal SchoolUrbana

Mrs. Grace SkinnerPrimary TeacherRidge SchoolHomewood

CONTENT REVIEW GROUP

Mrs. Eleanor Buehrig, Associate EditorAssistant DirectorDepartment of Curriculum DevelopmentDivision of InstructionOffice of the Superintendent of


Miss Leta CookCurriculum ConsultantDepartment of Curriculum DevelopmentDivision of InstructionOffice of the Superintendent of

Public instructionSpringfield

Mrs. Vera DriverCurriculum ConsultantDepartment of Curriculum DevelopmentDivision of InstructionOffice of the Superintendent of


Miss Eileen !bergCurriculum ConsultantDepartment of Curriculum DevelopmentDivision of InstructionOffice of the Superintendent of


Mr. Norman MooreCurriculum ConsultantDepartment of Curriculum DevelopmentDivision of InstructionOffice of the Superintendent of


Mrs. Percy C. BennerRepresentative of !Ilinois Congress

of Parent and TeachersBox 193Urbana, Illinois

Mrs. Elizabeth BriggsKindergarten TeacherUnit District #93210 Willshire DriveGranite City, !limns

Mrs. Audrey B. ByrdPrincipalRoosevelt School320 East 161st Place ,South Holland, Illipoi'§-.4

Mrs. Quintella CalverDirector of Kindergartens902 Illinois AvenueEast St. Louis, Illinois

Mrs. Janet ClemonsPresidentIllinois Association for Childhood

Education International224 Washington StreetRockford, Illinois

Mrs. Alice JohnsonKindergarten TeacherWashington School8th and Sycamore StreetsQuincy, Illinois

..,

Dr. Genevieve LangstonProfessor of EducationEureka CollegeEureka. Illinois

Mrs LaVerta LittlePrimary TeacherRock Island Public SchoolsRock Island, Illinois

Dr. Harold L LathPsychologistBlack Hawk College1001 16th StreetMoline, Illinois

Mrs. Olva PhillipsKindergarten Teacher

-Lincoln School1700 Oakland AvenueMt. Vernon, Illinois

Miss Marceil Sailer (Bibliography only)Staff LibrarianDepartment of Instructional MaterialsDivision of InstructionOffice of the Superintendent

of Public Instruction316 Second StreetSpringfield, Illinois

Mrs. Beatrice Swarm.Coordinator, Project OfficeNational College of Education2840 Sheridan RoadEvanston, II lihois

Mrs. Alice TaylorPrincipalIrving School519 North Glendale StreetPeoria, Illinois

PREFACE

Research has clearly demonstrated that kindergarten programs can contributesignificantly to the education of young children. Educators know that much of thetotal knowledge an individual achieves is reached by the age of eight. Thus, the earlyyears of a child's life become increasingly important to his total development andlater educational achievement. In fact, it appears that success in the educationalprogress of a child throughout his school experience depends largely upon whathappens to him in those early years. Experiences of teachers have shown thatyoung children frequently demonstrate higher levels of readiness to adapt to therequirements of the primary levels after having experienced a balanced, well-conceived, and wisely-implemented kindergarten relationship.

Educators have generally come to recognize the importance of providing appropriateeducational programs for young children. Society has become more aware of this,since it now appears that young children have finally been recognized as having validbasic educational needs.

For those school systems which are just now opening kindergarten doors tofive-year-olds, it will not be comforting to know that there are many more questionsthan there are answers. It is not an easy undertaking to plan and implement effectiveprograms which will focus upon individuality and developmental strengths. Aboveall other considerations, children need capable heip toward developing the humanqualities.

We urge educators who will be undertaking the often frustrating, but richlyreward;ng, task of encouraging the growth of young children, to give much attentionto their esthetic, social, emotional, physical, and intellectual developmentbecomeskillful in sifting research and in assessing implications for learning A xperienceswhich will be good for childrenlearn what happens to attitudes and human valuesin the educational processknow and respect the young child in his individual urgesto grow. To these should be added patience, encouragement, and cooperation withparents and colleagues who are concernedwith the educational and developmentalprocesses of young children .

This guide is intended fOr use by administrators and teachers. It is recommendedthat elementary school principals and kindergarten teachers obtain copies of the guide for

assistance in preparing and implementing local programs.

Distribution of the guide will be made through the Illinois Curriculum Program,Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Offices of theSuperintendents of the Educational Service Regions.

The guide will also be made available to college and university libraries,educational agencies located in other states, and other interested organizations.

Earl W. Morris, DirectorIllinois Curriculum Program

1

I"

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN ILLINOIS: FOCUS ON.KINDERGARTEN

CONTENTSDivision IKindergarten Children in Action 1

Division IIPerspective on Early Childh. od Education 15Early Childhood Education Yesterday and TodayEarly Childhood Education TomorrowKindergarten ApproachesDivision IIIDeveloping Your Own Kindergarten Curriculum 21The Development of a Healthy Self-ConceptEncouragement of Positive Feelings aria Attitudes: Their Significance to Learning

Expansion of Natural Learning DrivesCreative ArtsPhysical Education and Outdoor PlayLanguage ArtsScienceMathematicsSocial Studies

Division IVPlanning for the Year 31The Beginning Days of SchoolCenters of InterestParents' Contribution to the Educational ProgramChildren with Special NeedsDaily SchedulesEvaluation of the Child's GrowthDivision VThe Role of the Administrator 41Division VISome Concepts and Issues 49Divison VIIAppendixes 55

Appendix A Annotated Bibliography of Selected Professional BooksAppendix B Sources of Professional InformationAppendix C Films on Early Childhood EducationAppendix D Suggested Instructional Materials

Bibliography of Books for ChildrenSources For Reading or StorytellingRecordings for ChildrenMusic Books

Appendix E Kindergarten Legislation

Division I Kindergarten Children in Action

1

I. Children Come toKindergarten from VariousBackgrounds

_:........21,..',"--.. -

II. Children Come withIndividual Differences

._141,...11

=114.

Some are shortSome are tali

Some wear glasses

Left-handed But, "We're allRight-handed kindergartners."

Some are blackSome are white .

Some wear hearing aids

Some are shortSome are tall

44

Some wear glasses

Left-handed But, "We're allRight-handed kindergartners."

Some are blackSome are white

Some wear hearing aids

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3

4

III. Most Children Usually Are

4

Che NiriP

Sometimes children express

Content and happy Unhappiness

" Friendly

Happy and active

Aggressiveness and fear

Shyness or loneliness

Disdain

-m*11

olio11

Sometimes children express

Content and happy . Unhappiness

Friendly Aggressiveness and fear

Happy and active Shyness or loneliness

Disdal-,

;r

IV. A Child Needs

To achieveIt's hard, but I can do it.

To exploreMan, is he big!

To experimentMaybe if . . . ?

How long beforewe can eatthem?

To discoverThey grow inthe inner city, too!

Look! he haslittle wings.

To learn responsibilityIt's my turn toclean the cage.

To achieve To discoverIt's hard, but I can do it. They grow in

the inner city, tool

To exploreMan, is he big!

To experimentMaybe if . . . ?

How long beforewe can eatthem?

Look! he haslittle wings.

To learn responsibilityIt's my turn toclean the Cage.

5

V. A Child Needs to BeActive as an Individual

In free choice activity In structured activityLearning about seedsDesigning a block house

Discovering spatial Improving eye-handrelationships coordination

Experimenting withquantitative concepts

In free choice activity In structured activityLearning about seedsDesigning a block house

Strengthening muscular Developing visual-

control auditory skills

Discovering spatial Improving eye-handrelationships coordination

R Experimenting withquantitative concepts

"as

IL%

VI. A Child Needs to be Active in a Group

1.1.1101.111

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,400...w.0.04

In free choice activityCooperat:ng in block construction

Imitating family life

Planning and building a fire engine

Exploring the tunnels

sti

A

In structured activityNourishing that sense of wonder

Developing science conceptsfrom powder toliquid to solid

Under: :nding and followingthe rules of the game

1Cultivating listening skill:,and enjoying music

,VII. A Child Needs to Use Language

441:r 11, .

%r-` . 1111'

To share information"This is fragile."

To listen critically"I don't believe you."

To listen attentively"That's a good story."

To discuss problems and to clarify thinkin"Boys, let's talk it over."

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To give and take directions"I have that one."

To narrate experiences"I got the book at the library."

To dictate an experience story for reading."I had a turtle.My mother stepped on it.The End."

To ask important questions"Why doesn't his mommy feed him?"

VIII. A Child Needs to Create

Telling about pictures Recreating a field trip

-4441 Building with wood

14,0,014

Painting at the easel

Making puppets

Role playing

1_

In Many Ways

to

letting about pictures Recreating a field trip

Building with wood Role playing

Painting at the easel

Making puppets

N

In Many Ways

ti

11

IX. A Kindergarten Child Will Learn

12

410,

atfi ;"r'"Lr,

111:64'

_Liagromorz.,

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The importance of bookand numbers

To discuss ideas, experpeers

To relate his ideas andother adults

To communicate, throuconcept knowledge of

=m.- _MMIIMP

The importance of books and reading, as well as writingand numbers

To discuss ideas, experiences, and problems with hispeers

To relate his ideas and experiences to teachers andother adults

To communicate, through drawings and other art media,concept knowledge of his experiences

ILL

About family life

About his outside world

To work and play as an individual and as a groupmember both outdoors and indoors

And MoreAnd More

And More

Summary

Massive general experience in kindergarten "pays off"in cognitive development.

A child learns in different ways:

Independently and in groupsFrom other children and through teacher guidanceFrom models through imitation and in role playThrough first hand experiencesThrough manipulation, trial and error, and problem-

solvingThrough organized learning experiences

All these opportunities are open to him when heenters kindergarten, when parents and teachers worktogether, and when the community recognizes itsresponsibility to cooperatively and adequately plan theeducational goals for its young children.

14

The concept of education for the young child is clot new.Much can be gained by retracing the footprints ofchildren as they have moved through the educationalprograms or plans designed by the innovative thinkersof their day. We find that the present programs forearly childhood education have evolved from those ofthe past with some enduring strands. In 1876, mothersand teachers in Chicago organized a group to studyFroebelian methods. One hundred years later, everychild in the State of Illinois will have an opportunity toattend public school kindergarten.

16

TIME LINE

B.C. A.D.

400 PLATO 1633 JOHN

(427 - 347 B.C.) (1592Home instruction to prepare young Publisi

children for adult life. Recog

1762 JEAN(1712Pub listimportFreed

1784 JEAN(174CEstabof chiFranc

1825 ROBE

(177EstablprescIPlann

1837 FRIED

(1782Establages"FathFreed

1857 MRSEstabkindeWater

1860 ELIZAEstabkindein Bo

TIME LINE

B.C.

ild is not new. 400tints ofducationalive thinkersrams form those of

876, mothersto study

ter, everyportunity to

PLATO(427 - 347 B.C.)Home instruction to prepare youngchildren for adult life.

O

A.D.

1633 JOHN AMOS COMENIUS(1592 - 1670)Published School of Infancy.Recognized the value of play.

1762 JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU(1712 - 1778)Published his Emile. Childhood is animportant phase in development.Freedom from restraint.

1784 JEAN FREDRIC OBERLIN(1740 - 1826)Established an institution for the careof children ages 2.Cin Walbock,France. Physical well-being.

1825 ROBERT OWEN(1771 - 1858)Established an all-day institution forpreschool children in Great Britain.Planned environment.

1837 FRIEDRICH FROEBEL(1782 - 1852)Established a kindergarten for childrenages 3-6 in Blankenburg, Germany;"Father of the Kindergarten."Freedom to grow.

1857 MRS. CARL SCHURZEstablished the first German-speakingkindergarten in the United States inWatertown, Wisconsin.

1860 ELIZABETH PEABODYEstablished first English-speakingkindergarten in the United Statesin Boston, Massachusetts.

i

1

1873 SUSAN BLOW andWILLIAM T. HARRISEstablished the first public schoolkindergarten in the United Statesin St. Louis, Missouri.

1889 G. STANLEY HALL(1844 - 1924)Results of child psychologyexperiments applied to teaching.

1894 JOHN DEWEY(1859 - 1952)Became head of Department ofPhilosophy and Pedagogy at theUniversity of Chicago. Learning byDoing.

1895 PERMISSIVE LEGISLATION FORKINDERGARTENS IN ILLINOISThe Illinois General Assemblyamended the law enabling schooldistricts throughout the State toestablish and finance kindergartensin the public schools.

1899 PATTY SMITH HILL( - 1946)Became the Director of the ModelKindergarten in Louisville, Kentucky.The modern kindergarten.

1907 MARIA MONTESSORI(1870 - 1952)Established the Casa del Bambiniin Rome, Italy. Independent use ofself-selected and self-correctingtasks.

1917 IOWA CHILD WELFARE RESEARCHSTATION,University of Iowa. Established undera state legislative grant. Childdevelopment research.

1933 WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATIONEstablished nursery behools &wingthe depression to provide work forunemployed teachers and nurses.First federally supported schoolsfor young children

1940 ARNOLD GESSELL(1880 - 1961)Published the First Five.Years ofLife Normative Studies.

1942 LANHAM ACTProvided day care centers andnursery schools for children ofworking mothers during World War:I. Federally supported centersand schools.

1950 JEAN PIACET(1896 - )

American publication of Psychologyof Intelligence. Theory of CognitiveDevelopment.MIDCENTURY WHITE HOUSECONFERENCE ON CHILDREN ANDYOUTHApproval of nursery andkindergarten programs as adesirable part of public opportunityfor all children. ..

1960 JEROME BRUNER(1915 - )

Published Process of Education.Structure of knowledge importantin learning.

1963 ILLINOIS COMMISSION ON CHILDRENAND YOUTHEstablished.

1965 HEADCENTERCompreand weldisadvafamily.

1969 OFFICEEstabl isDepartand Wel

1970 MANDAILLINOI

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TER

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ICE

blisart

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t public schoolUnited Statesuri.

sychologyied to teaching.

epartment ofagogy at the

go. Learning by

LATION FORIN ILLINOISI Assemblynabling schoolt the State toce kindergartensIs.

o.- of the Modeluisville, Kentucky.ergarten.

ORI

sa del Bambiniependent use ofself-correcting

ARE RESEARCH

. Established undergrant. Childarch.

1933 WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATIONEstablished nursery schools duringthe depression to provide work forunemployed teachers and nurses.First federally supported schoolsfor young children

1940 ARNOLD GESSELL(1880 - 1961)Published the First Five-Years ofLife Normative Studies.

1942 LANHAM ACTProvided day care centers andnursery schools for children ofworking mothers during World WarII. Federally supported centersand schools.

1950 JEAN PIAGET(1896 - )

American publication of Psychologyof Intelligence. Theory of CognitiveDevelopment.MIDCENTURY WHITE HOUSECONFERENCE ON CHILDREN ANDYOUTHApproval of nursery andkindergarten programs as adesirable part of public opportunityfor all children.

1960 JEROME BRUNER(1915 - )

Published Process of Education.Structure of knowledge importantin learning.

1963 ILLINOIS COMMISSION ON CHILDRENAND YOUTHEstablished.

1965 HEAD START CHILD DEVELOPMENTCENTERSComprehensive, health, education,and welfare services for thedisadvantaged preschooler and hisfami:y. Federally funded.

1969 OFFICE OF CHILD DEVELOPMENTEstablished in the United StatesDepartment of Health, Education,and Welfare.

1970 MANDATORY KINDERGARTENS INILLINOIS

17

A

OUT-- IN--

Narrow competition

Hurdles between grades

Compartmentalization of subject matter

Chronological age for entrance

Punitive methods

Regimentation

18

1

MoneyIncreased support MaterialsAavailable toexploration

New emphasisRecognizing child's ability tolearn is present at birth and must bestimulated for achieving full potential Individual pr.

Parent programsParents, older siblings, and Evaluation ofteenagers as supporting educational and assessmpersonnel effective programs for parents,, parental inpuinfants and toddlers through television, goals measuhome visits, and study centers objectives

Lay responsibilityParticipation in Child is awardeducational policy making and in the participates itongoing educational program itself

Video tape aNew methodsFor determining entrance to of child's bet,school such as developmental levels, the and extond ospecific family situation, the school'sability to provide an adequate programwill determine each child's entrance ageand his placement

Many different approachesGrouping within aschool and within a classroom in order tomaximize the learning of all positiveaspects of human development

ClassroomChildren are active working aloneor in small groupsare developingand learning through sensory and motorexperiences in all areas of content

Aton

I pr

ofsm

npuasu

wars 1

e abeid o

ect matter

IN--

MoneyIncreased support

New emphasisRecognizing child's ability tolearn is present at birth and must bestimulated for achieving fuli potential

Parent programsParents, older siblings, andteenagers as supporting educationalpersonneleffective programs for parents,infants and toddlers through television,home visits, and study centers

Lay responsibilityParticipation ineducational policy making and in theongoing educational program itself

New methodsFor determining entrance toschool such as developmental levels, thespecific family situation, the school'sability to provide an adequate programwill determine each child's entrance ageand his placement

Many different approachesGrouping within aschool and within a classroom in order tomaximize the learning of all 'positiveaspects of human development

ClassroomChildren are active working aloneor in small groupsare developingand learning through sensor./ and motorexperiences in all areas of content

MaterialsA wealth of materials will beavailable to promote discovery andexploration

Individual progressChild moves at his own pace

Evaluation of progressContinuous diagnosisand assessment by school personnel withparental input and feedbackEducationalgoals measured in terms of performanceobjectives

Child is aware of his progress andparticipates in evaluation

Video tape and electronic monitoringof child's behavior are used to checkand extend observations

...

KINDERGARTEN APPROACHES

The recently-renewed interest in early childhoodeducation has led to a proliferation of ideas about whatare appropriate educational experiences for young children.For example, the establishment of numerous programsbased, to a greater or lesser extent, on the Montessorimethod have been organized throughout the nation. Newprograms are being developed to provide compensatoryeducation for disadvantaged youngsters. The extrapolationof child development theories has also stimulated newcurriculum concepts. All of these approaches to earlychildhood education presently provide alternatives to thetraditional approach to kindergarten education.

While it is easy to label any particular approach tokindergarten education as a "good" or "bad" form ofeducation for young children, it is useless and possiblyeven harmful to do so. Most of the programs havesomething constructive to offer. It is suggested that astrong, selective program for the young child could hebuilt from the positive components of variouscontemporary approaches.

The Traditional Kindergarten

Traditionally, kindergartens have stressed social,emotional adjustment, physical development, ciaativeexpression, and preparation for formal schooling as theirmajor goals. Free play, milk or juke, resting on mats,show and tell, group story times, organized rainy daygames, music and rhythm, handwork, the celebrationof all holidays, block building, large muscle developmentunits, and centers of interest characterized thesekindergartens which saw their prime in the thirties andforties.

Montessori

The Montessori program is generally characterizedby a prepared environment of self-correcting materials.In a serious atmosphere, children are offered highlyindividualized learning tasks. Tasks of specially designedmaterials are sensory-motor in nature, sequentiallyarranged, and require specific steps in manipulation.They are often related to practical life experiences. The

role of the directress is to prepare the environment,introduce the individual to tasks, and then retire tothe background letting the child teach himself. He isgiven freedom to select materials from among thoseto which he has been introduced. While time limitsare not given, he is expected to complete a task andis allowed to repeat it as often as he wishes,

Critics of the Montessori approach point to the almostexclusive emphasis on individual activity and silencegames as seriously limiting the opportunity for languagedevelopment, creativity, and social interaction.

Head Start

The Head Start program was initiated by the federalgovernment to provide compensatory education for thedisadvantaged pre-schoolers. While the content of HeadStart curriculum varies greatly from classroom toclassroom, there are certain characteristics of allprograms which generally appear and which are worthyof note. Programs concern themselves broadly with thedevelopment of the child rather than with academiclearning alone. The health and nutritional condition ofthe child are accepted as a program responsibility;medical and dental examinations and treatment areprovided, as well as hot lunches and snacks. Provisionsare also made for social services to the disadvantagedfamily.

Parent involvement and community participation aremajor components of he Head Start concept. Theprogram is seen as an extension of the community;hence, the parents have an opportunity to influenceand control program policy. As parent participation andinvolvement increase, so the understanding of theirown children increases, as does the ability to p3rticipatein community decisions. This allows the impact of theschool to be felt far beyond the boundaries of itsbuilding walls.

Bereiter-Engelmann

Among the many programs developer ,. 19

disadvantaged children, a controversial one is theBereiter-Engelmann approach to early childhoodeducation. Diagnosing the,problem of the disadvantagedchild as his failure to learn reading, language skills,and arithmetic, the rIevelopers have designed a programto focus clearly on these learning areas. Classes offive children in these academic areas are rotated onhalf-hour schedules. Music and art are treated as tota!group activities. The method of instruction is almostentirely verbal. A great many imitative responses aredemanded from the children, and rewarded byreinforcement techniques. Social and emotionaldevelopment are considered irrelevant. The self-conceptis thought to be adequately developed by success inthese academic fields.

Motor-Sensory

Some programs have as their major objective thestructural, sequential training of specific motor abilities.Frostig's model, which emphasizes visual-motorperception and Kephart's preoccupation with motorcoordinations are representative of this approach.

The distinguishing feature of the motor-sensoryapproach is the emphasis on training. Some educatorstend to make motor-sensory training almost the wholeprogram. Others see its value in terms of individualchildren with specific learning disabilities. As a group,however, these programs should not be confused withthose which provide and encourage sensory-motorexperiences, but viewed as best achieved throughthe child's somewhat freer interaction with hisenvironment.

20

Developing an Eclectic Approach

By synthesizing the positive aspects of the foregoingapproaches, an effective eclectic program can bedesigned that will be most appropriate in serving theeducational and developmental needs of young children.This eclectic approach views the content of the programas the means of achieving the educational aims ratherthan as an end in itself by incorporating positivecomponents of the several approaches. The eclecticapproach will:

Be related to community needs and concerns. Thecommunity will control policy.

Involve parents as well as children, with parentsactive in teaching as well as in learning roles.

Concern itself broadly with the development of thechild.

Present intellectual challenges to the child.

Allow for individualization of content and structurefor each child.

Acclimate the child to the demands of group living.

Provide children with skills needed for successfulschool achievement and for understanding thephysical, social, and symbolic world.

Be activity oriented. Children will not only havefreedom of physical movement, but be involvedin intellectual responses dealing with theexperiences offered.

Division Ill

111""`..

Developing Your Own Kindergarten Curriculum

p -41421110.

I

THE DEVELOPMENT OF AHEALTHY SELF-CONCEPT

A HEALTHY SELF-CONCEPT

a sense of trusta sense of autonomya feeling of confidence through success

IS DEVELOPED BY

helping to deal with feelings

angerinsecurityfrustrationfear

providing an opportunity to reflect himself

in mirrorsin photographsfrom tape recordingsin interactions with others

No single curriculum nor program plan can, or shouldbe, devised to meet the varying requirements of everycommunity, school, teacher, or child. The ultimateresponsibility for planning for each individual groupwill reside with the kindergarten teacher. Many teacherswill find it advisable to experiment with a variety ofideas and plans, and to work toward evolvement of aneclectic model. This may be based both upon theirown experiences, and upon the steadily-accumulatingbody of knowledge about children; how they growand develop, and the ways in which they learn aboutthemselves and their rapidly eNpanding world.

The key to a dynamic program for young childrenis a creative, resourceful teacher, with a zest foriearning and living. The importance of actively involvingparents, teacher-aides, and other adults within thecommunity in the planning and operation of thekindergarten program, itself, is becoming increasinglyclear.

A good day for a kindergarten child needs to bevital, satisfying, and "mindstretching," withoutbecoming over-stimulating or threatening. He needsa program in which play is valued for the learningopportunities which it can provide, and for whichthere is ample provision for time and equipment. Hecan grow best in an atmosphere in which uniquenessand originality are prized; one in which creativity iswelcomed and fostered. He responds least well tostimulation, or lack of it, in an environment in whichthere 1J a conscious or unconscious effort to forcehim into teacher-conceived patterns of "public schoolbehavior."

Observers often misunderstand the place of play ina kindergarten program. They see a room equippedwith "toys" and children enjoying themselves, busilyimitating adult behavior or learning informal games.What an adult often thinks of as play is, to a child,the business of living. In this way, he learns what theworld is like and what his capabilities are. He trieson the roles of the adult world. Concentrating onproblems and discovering and testing possible solutionsare intrinsic elements of a child's play and can becomenabitual learning patterns. Play is the vehicle of learningfor the young child.

Fortunately, most kindergarten children insist uponbeing active participants in the total learning process.No two children within this, or any other age ordevelopmental group, are exactly alike, but we canobserve many similarities in life-styles, thinking, andbehavior.

ENCOURAGEMENT OF POSITIVE FEELINGSAND ATTITUDES: THEIR SIGNIFICANCETO LEARNING

GROWTH IN POSITIVE FEELINGS AND ATTITUDES

curiosityappreciation for creativityopen-mindednessacceptance of self and otherssatisfaction in accomplishmentjoy in discoverywillingness to accept responsibility for group

membershipacceptance of constructive criticismrealistic understanding of abilities and limitations

IS DEVELOPED BY

acceptance of the childpositive reinforcementgoals for the individual designed for immediate

successexposure to people with differing roles, backgrounds,

and valueschallenging equipment and materialsself-evaluationwide range of choicefreedom to experiment, explore, and discover

Dr. Milton Akers? speaking in Urbana to a statewidepreschool clinic, outlined three basic goals toward whichkindergarten teachers must strive:

Development of a healthy self-concept.Expansion of the natural learning drives ofchildren.

Fostering-of positive feelings and attitudesabout learning.

These have been developed more fully as the goals ofan eclectic program.

One of the developmental tasks of early childhoodis that of developing a sense of autonomy. The feelingof being a person with the abilities to "be big" anddo things for himself is most necessary' to the youngchild. Erikson2emphasizes that programs should providemany opportunities for success, and program directorsshould find many opportunities to make children feelconfident and happy with their accomplishments

The kindergarten day will be filled with occasionswhich demand the friendly supportive action from adultsin charge. Young children are extremely sensitive tocriticism, and shy children can be quite easily upset byan abrupt response from a busy teaches. One argumentfor a lower teacher-pupil ratio in kindergarten classes isthe young child's need for personal attention from histeacher.

Research experiences have provided us with manytechniques for helping disadvantaged children to becomeaware of themselves. Disadvantaged children often havea special need for developing this self-concept of howthey actually look. Mirrors in the housekeeping area mayprovide a child's first concept of how he actually looks.Personal photographs are sometimes used to advantage,and songs containing the child's name are suggestedfor helping him to become aware of himself as a person.Many children in public schools need this help.

Thinking well of oneself implies the acceptance ofone's feelings. Young children often need the supportof an understanding adult in learning to deal withfeelings of anger, insecurities, and frustrations. Thedevelopment of a sense of trust in others, and anacceptance of oneself as a worthy person, able to dothings, becomes an extremely important goal, if weremember that future personality development dependsupon these achievements.

23

EXPANSION OF NATURALLEARNING DRIVES

GROWTH IN

skills of locomotion, climbing, manipulationlanguage and communicationcuriosityunderstanding of natural phenomenaquantitative thoughtreasoning and conceptualizationdistinguishing between real and fancifulexpanding relationships with peopleawareness of world from immediate surroundings

to outer space

IS ENCOURAGED THROUGH

dramatic playchallenging material and equipmentcenters of interestfree flowing conversationtime for one's selfexploration and discovery

IS INSURED BY TEACHERS PLANNING FOR

role playingcommunity resourcesenriched environmentindoor and outdoorpresentation of stories, poetry, and musicgroup discussionscreative expressionproblem-solving

24

The young child usually meets each new learningexperience with curiosity, open-mindedness, and asense of wonder: It is the responsibility of adults tokeep this enthusiasm alive. Some children enter schoolwith this enthusiasm already dulled. By encouragingthe child with positive reinforcement, by leading himon with questions, and by making resources availableto enlarge his horizons, the teacher can rekindle thisenthusiasm for learning and encourage its growth. Hisfrequent questions of "Why?" are basic toexperimentationjexploration, and discovery. Searchingfor solutions to pipblems which may pose new onesstrengthens confidence in his ability to trust his ownideas.

1

iNo matter how mdch a child may accept himself,no matter how much he attempts to learn, the wholegamut of feelings'becomes important in its ownright. A child must learn to cope with emotions. Hemust lear to channel and control the strong onesand to 4. 'ize on the positive ones, in order togrow into an acceptable member of a group. This isone of the goals in a society for which the schoolsmust assume responsibility.

The way in which a teacher accepts herself andapproaches her tasks sets the pattern for the attitudeswhich the teacher has about others. The effectivenessof the learning experiences in school are, to a largeextent, determined by the teacher's willingness to acceptchildren from varying backgrounds with varying deg.eesof development, and to plan constructive programsfor them.

The child who is given the freedom and responsibilityof making choices within his abilities is one who hasstarted on the path to becoming a responsible citizen.When children become absorbed in strong emotions ofdespair, helplessness or frustration, learning becomesblocked. Joy in discovery and satisfaction inaccomplishment lead to the development of personalityand strengthen learning. Positive attitudes towardschool and toward learning itself are strengthened.

Basic learning drives and goals are revealed by thequestions and conversations of children, and can leadto significant curriculum planning. The teacher selectsand pursues the interests of the children with the aimof helping them to satisfy their needs for self-fulfillment.A balance in programs for young children is necessary,so that no one phase of development will be neglectednor over-emphasized. In the past, the concern of nursery/kindergarten teachers for the physical, social, andemotional development of children may have led tothe neglect of their intellectual and cognitive learnings.With the knowledge explosion, the reverse appears tobe true. Some educators, and researchers in particular,are tempted to provide many kinds of directive materialsfor children's use in order to emphasize cognitivedevelopment. The practice of forcing kindergarten childreninto first grade materials and structures inhibits naturallearning drives and places undue pressures upon them.

Concepts are formed by acquiring fragments ofinformation which are then ordered into an organizedpattern. Young children learn best when they areactively involved in first-hand experiences; when theycan play-out or work-out an experience; and whenactivities are commensurate with their developmentalneeds. A young child rehearses what he knows bytalking about it. Talk and more talk is one of hispredominant characteristics. Through listening to hisconversation, the teacher gains insight about the child,as well as direction for curriculum planning.

Bruner's3 concept of a spiraling approach to subjectmatter may be used as a guide for curriculum buildingwith basic concepts recurring in increasing depth ofunderstanding. Robinson and Spodek 4 advocate the"structure of the disciplines" approach. They suggestthat children should not be taught key concepts in anyof the subject areas in a direct manner.

In a desire to provide intellectual learnings forchildren, it is quite easy to value products and results,and fail to stress the processes by which these learningsare achieved Piaget emphasizes that children need toexplore and discover but should discover and generalizefrom meaningful educational experiences.

The significant experiences planned for and by thechildren can be organized in units of work, centers ofinterest, group studies, or any other way that allowsfor individual initiative-and-creativity. Such anorganization must afford children the opportunity to worksingly, in small groups or, occasionally, in the largegroup. It is generally understood that no two childrenwill profit in the same degree from a given experience,but on the next occasion, it is hoped that other conceptswill be added and that learning will spiral. This kindof teaching does not emerge; it must be planned.

The roots of the content areas are established inthe kindergarten. Creative arts, physical education,language arts, mathematics, science, and social studiesare included, but special time in the daily schedule isnot allocated to any of them. The children's learningexperiences will cut across all major content areasand will be embodied in the discovery and explorationtaking place, especially during the activity or workperiod.

Creative Arts

In setting the stage for learning in the kindergarten,creative art materials take an important place. Youngchildren need opportunities to create with easel paints,finger paint, soap paint, string painting, clay, play dough,cutting, pasting, collage construction, and simple woodwork. Teachers are aware that the results are notto be emphasized. Manipulation of material andexperimentation in their uses are of infinitely moreimportance to the learning process. If children are givenmany interesting experiences, they are likely to approachart media with imagination and an ever-increasing skill.Many of the media bring them to terms with theirenvironment and furnish a release for frustration andtension.

Young people go through at least four stages in theuse of various art media. Authorities differ as to thenumber and types, but most agree that first attemptsare manipulative and experimental. Accidentally, and later,intentional design usually characterizes the next stage. 25

26

Symbolic, or semi-abstract are descriptive of art workwhich has meaningful content for the child artist but isnot yet recognizable to the adult. Such forms may bepreplanned, or more likely, named and renamed afterrendering. Sometimes, as in painting, there is a runningmonologue which accompanies the action. "And thenthe snow covered up everything," says the child ashe covers his work with a complete wash of paint. Intime, the child will reach a more realistic stage ofrepresentation.

Art is a medium through which the young childcan express his ideas and feelings in nonverbal form.For him, the process is far more important than theproduct. The wise kindergarten teacher will give artan important place in the program. He or she willensure the necessary freedom for experimentation inthe different media.

Esthetic exposure is also a va' 3ble aspect of artin the kindergarten classroom. Thus; toys, colorful'prints, furniture, and other classroom objects shouldbe selected with awareness of their esthetic qualities,as well as their educational function.

Dramatic play occurs spontaneously throughout thekindergarten work or play period. Creative expressionmay take the form of dramatization, dramatic play, orrole-playing. It grows out of the experiences of thechild plus his imagination. A housekeeping corner,, awoodworking table, or the block building area, andthe large wheel toys provide excellent opportunitiesfor dramatic play, undirected, or with little guidancefrom the teacher. Here, children may try on roles ofparent, worker, child, friend, or baby. Each child can"plamut" his individuality ass.eting "self" in the rolehe has chosen.

Activities: trips to the grocery store, the airport,the fire department, or the shoe repair shop, can resultin delightful role-playing and dramatic play. After anexcursion, while interest level is still high, theimaginative teacher can guide young children into somevery real and worthwhile creative experiences.

Dramatization is the most structured form of creative

dramatics. After many "tellings" of a favorite story,the children may become thoroughly familiar with thestory and the various characters. The teacher cancreate a flexible situation in which a child may suggest"playing," or "acting out" the story. Some childrenmay add their individuality and spontaneity to a role,while the more timid child can still participate withinthe structured pattern of the story.

Music should be an integral part of every child'skindergarten experience. Such important objectives asappreciation, sheer enjoyment, and the first steps inattaining musical competencies, deserve a daily timefor music with some attention to sequential development.

Young children begin to sing in a limited-rangepattern. Most can successfully match three or fouradjacent tones somewhere between middle C and Aabove. As singing ability develops, the lower rangeincreases somewhat, and songs with five to sevenadjacent tones may be selected. A few more competentand mature young singers may progress to an expandedrange of seven or more adjacent tones.

Songs with repetitive patterns and phrases areparticularly attractive to the young singer. At first, hemay listen to the teacher or to a recording artist modelthe song. Shy beginners can usually be encouraged tojoin in on a catchy, repetitive refrain.

The teacher can personalize songs by using namesof the children in greetings, references to familiarthings, and new words to fit special occasions. Sheshould also encourage children to sing spontaneously,to play simple instruments, and to express their feelingfor rhythm through creative body movement.

Listening is not only the key to tuneful singing, itis the core component of all musical experience. Itis important that teachers develop in children anawareness to the many sounds around them by listeningto such things as the pitter-patter of the rain, thehigh and low tones on the piano, the fast-slow, even-uneven bouncing of a ball, and the loud and soft soundsof bells. Listening is emphasized when children hear a

story or are exposed to recorded music.

Kindergarteners enjoy gathering around the piano,autoharp, or guitar to sing. It does not matter if someof the singers do not sing "in tune" as yet. They willimprove with frequent practice.

Chanting the words and clapping the rhythm willmake learning the song easier. Making up new wordsto a certain rhythm or melody is great fun. Childrendelight in moving to musicthey like to skip, gallop,march, jump, walk, or tiptoe. Songs, poems, chants,and musical stories offer many opportunities formovement and dramatization. Kindergarten children needlots of space in which to move.

Basic instruments for use in kindergarten are tom-toms, triangles, tambourines, rhythm sticks, wood blocks,jingle bells, melody bells, and coconut shells. Anautoharp and/or pianci is essential for playingaccompaniments.

A kindergarten teacher sets the stage for creativitywhen she accepts and encourages the individualresponses and creative ideas of children.

Physical Education and Outdoor Play

Provision in the kindergarten must be made to meet theneed for developing large muscles and motor control. Akindergarten room should be large and equipped withmany centers for providing vigorous physical activities orcollective activity. Sawing, hammering, rolling, skipping,somersaulting, hopping, walking on the balance beam,and jumping are all types of physical activities orcollective activities which can be performed indoorswhen necessary. Bean bags and medium-to-large-sizedballs give children practice in throwing and catching.Creative dance steps and moving to music provideother opportunities to improve body movement.

An outdoor play area is a must. Rarely is it advisablefor the kindergarten to share the playground with anothergroup, although it may be used by others when notbeing used by the kindergarten. A shed to store

tricycles, wagons, wheelbarrows, and other outdoorequipment is a great convenience to the teacher.

Running, climbing, crawling, pedaling a tricycle orsmall bike, and all sorts of vigorous activities can becarried on in the fresh air and sunshine of an adequateoutdoor play space.

Some groups of children may build their own spaceships or fire engines from packing boxes and scraplumber. Some plant, care for, harvest, and eat theirown garden vegetables. Gasoline stations, freeways,and traffic patterns may be laid out for tricycles, Thediscovery of an anthill, a cocoon, the varying patternsand colors of leaves, or the shape of a snowflake canhappen only in a classroom that may be extended tothe out-of-doors.

Language Arts

The child arrives in kindergarten with his ownvocabulary and basic language patterns which mirrorhis past experiences. The kindergarten teacher beginsto build learning experiences based on the thinking,speaking, listening, and reading competencies of eachchild in a relaxed atmosphere which provide opportunityfor the sequential development of the communicationskills.

Recording a child's own stories, which evolve fromkindergarten experiences, helps a child to begingeneralizing reading-readiness skills which developa feeling for what reading is all about.

Listening and speaking experiences evolving fromnatural kindergarten experiences will increase the child'svocabulary and his sense of language structure, increasehis ability to discriminate sounds in our language, andretell experiences using an appropriate sequence.

If a kindergarten teacher is cognizant of thedevelopment of the communicative skills, ;oung childrencan experience a stimulating as well as productivelanguage arts program without formal structured periodsof skill drill, so often characteristic of some fo 'fnalreadiness programs. 27

There are many exciting materials and activities tohelp each child develop appreciation in the languagearts through listening to stories, enjoying poetry,conversing with the teacher and with each other,solving problems, and expressing himself creatively.through language, dramatization, and role-playing.

Some activities which contribute to the appropriatedevelopment of positive attitudes, appreciations, andskill in language arts are:

Reading

The teacher, reading to children and sharing literaturethrough storytelling, poetry, and picture books, providesa model for reading while giving the kindergarten childa taste of what delights await him within the covers ofbooks. He sees her use reference materials in locatinganswers to his questions. He sees her write down whathe says and begins to generalize that what he sayscan be written; that others can read it now or later.

The use of his name on his own belongings, signsand labels written for him, or copied by him, whenneeded in dramatic play or in other activities, may bethe first step in actually reading printed symbols andmay lead to individuals asking questions about letters,sounds, likenesses, and differences.

A few chiidren will be ready for more and more suchactivities and profit from individual instruction inreading. Other children will show little interest insuch experiences, and should be encouraged to turn tochallenging activities obviously accepted and valuedby the teacher, but more appropriate to their currentinterests, skills, and abilities.

Listening to stories told by other children orread by the teacher, aide, or volunteer; listeningto records, tapes.

Dictating experiences as the teacher records them.

Experiencing poetry read by an adult which providesopportunity to enjoy sounds, create new sounds,laugh at unusual combinations of words, sensethe rhythm of running, skipping.

Showing objects, discussing incidents, makingplans, and talking about news of interest allcontribute to skills of speaking and listening.

Engaging in dramatic play, spontaneous and free,to allow a child to mimic life as the adults withwhom he has had firsthand contact. This providesopportunity for conversation, listening, learningnew words, clarifying the meaning of words, andsocial amenities.The teacher's responsibility in developing these skillsmust include:

Interesting opportunities for learning throughtrips, pictures, films, children interaction, contactswith other adults, recordings, books.

Providing space, materials, and time for thelearning activities.

Pressures to begin formal language arts instructionearlier are evident at the kindergarten level. Teachersshould utilize the information pertaining to the maturityand experiential background of each child in theselection of activities which will contribute to reading,listening, speaking, and writing skills.

Science

Most children are enthralled with the wonders ofnature and full of questions, such as "Why does itrain?", or, "Do fish sleep?" Many treasures are broughtto schoola colored leaf, a sparkling rock, or awiggling worm. The teacher wisely utilizes theseinterests.

However, complete dependence upon the incidentalmethod of teaching science is inadequate. Children'sinterests are limited by experience; therefore, it is the

teacher's responsibility to broaden the experiences,stimulating the development of new interests.

In cooperation with science teachers and consultants,the kindergarten teacher prepares a list of specificlearnings in the major areas of science: living things,the earth, the universe, matter, and energy. With thisoutline in mind,, the teacher can effectively utilize theincidental experiences, the child's interests, and theplanned specific activities without adhering to a rigidschedule. Care must be taken to extend the programbeyond "nature study."

Science affords the child the opportunity to engagein a variety of activities. Certainly, each child shouldhave time to experiment, observe, to make somegeneralizations, to try it again, and to have the teacherrecord the results for him. The science center is aplace where a child is able to take a cup of snow, letit melt, and measure the resulting water; or to Putobjects in a small container of water to see which willfloat and which will sink, or to watch worms crawl in

transparent container to see how they move. Thismust be an area where a child can look, touch, smell,taste, hear, and feel things. It is not a "display" center.

Adequately planned field trips for a specific purposeenhance the program. Resource peopleclassmates,older children, parents, and people from the community,can make valuable contributions. The teacher will selectresource people carefully, prepare them for the type ofinformation sought by the children, and arrange the roomsetting and time schedule so that small groups ofchildren, or an individual child, can communicaw withthem.

Mathematics

The development of modern mathematics programsgives new direction to the teacher in developing theprogram for the kindergarten. Study results indicatethat children can deal with mathematical concepts ata much earlier age than was previously considered.With the advent of modern mathematics programs came

a change in emphasis from computation skills to thedevelopment of concepts, from the "how," to the"why." Mathematics is presented as a system offundamental properties and relationships. A child can,and will, discover these relationships and propertiesif experiences are provided where ne is challenged toquestion, investigate, and test his ideas.

The teacher must remember that concepts developover a period of time as the result of many repeatedand varied experiences. Understanding can best bedeveloped by the child as he experiences quantitativerelationships as a part of living. His use of themanipulative materials is crucial in the development ofconcepts. The kindergarten teacher must not yield topressures or the temptation to drill children in skills, orto the premature shift to the use of abstract symbols.The best kindergarten mathematics program offerschildren the opportunity to solve problems of importanceto them utilizing the concepts, unoerstanding, and skillsthat they are developing.

In developing a mathematics program for thekindergarten, the teacher will need to:

Understand the objectives and the sequentialcontinuum of the mathematical concepts in theprogram adopted by his school.

Evaluate each child in terms of how he learnsand where he is on the mathematics continuum.

Evaluate the daily experience of the kindergartenin terms of the mathematical concepts that canbe developed or utilized. (the "incidental" not"accidental" experiences).

Plan specific activities to insure a well-roundedmathematics program. A child should haveexperiences which will involve the use of quantitativethinking and vocabulary in the areas of number,operations, measurement, relationships and proof.

' The child has many opportunities in his daily

activities to match in one-toone correspondence:cookies to children, or spoons to plates.

Compare sets, the number cf paint brushes to thenumber of paint cans.

Identify and compare shapes, such as thosefound in unit block sets, the circular shapes of awagon wheel or the rectangular shape of a pieceof paper.

Measure and compare (not necessarily usingstandard units of measure), the length of twoor more blocks; the height of block towers; theweight of a container of sand to a container ofpebbles; the number of cups of water needed tofill a quart container.

Begin building the idea of proof, the counting ofchildren to verify that three boys and one girl resultsin a set of four children.

Social Studies

Young children of today are attempting to make senseout of the universe. In our era, their horizons havebeen expanded beyond global proportions. Through themedium of television, today's children have traveledto the moon. Faraway places on earth have beenbrought closer to children, and customs and dress offoreign nations are, in some areas, quite commonplace.Because today's "here and now" has become soexpansive, children may develop many erroneousconcepts, and it becomes the responsibility of theteacher to help children clarify meanings andrelationships.

Historical events are not well understood by thefives because of their inability to deal with time.Holidays and birthdays of famous people may bediscussed briefly. When a teacher reads a story aboutAbraham Lincoln, the child is likely to ask, "Did you

30 know him when you were a little girl?"

The interrelatedness of people is a basic conceptthat will need to be explored. Young children areextremely interested in work and the people who doit. After a trip to the hospital, doctors and nurses comeinto the dramatic play, and their contributions to societycan be noted. Not all children of five will grasp theconcept of man's contribution to the work of the world,but a small beginning can be made.

Children are concerned with relating to their prents,teachers, and to their peers. At the kindergarten level,there must be ample opportunity to move about freely,choosing companions for play, and discovering howone must behave to become acceptable in a particularplay group. At this level, children are not reticent toexpress their feelings of anger, frustration, or otherstrong emotions. Sharing and respecting the rightsof others are learned behaviors. Sympathetic, acceptingteachers can find opportunity to give individual helpto children who are having difficulty in relationshipsand the channeling of strong emotions. The youngerthe child, the more open he is about his feelings.The importance of developing appropriate social behaviorcannot be overemphasized, as feelings and emotionsare basic to each child's personality development.

The basic premises of c;emocratic living have theirroots in a child's first steps away from home andfamily into the wider group experiences of school.Kindergarten is a place where children of differentcultural and ethnic backgrounds come together to workand play. Each child brings with him a part of his pastexperience and his acquired prejudices. Childrenlearn from each other. Human beings have more"likenesses in common" than differences. It is necessarythat a teacher become sensitive and understandingof these relationships in older to impart to youngchildren the basic concepts of democratic living.

4

THE BEGINNING DAYS OF SCHOOL

In a school where there is an ongoing programwith parents, the introduction to school will be ashared responsibility. The impact of this sharing ishighly significant to the school life of the child, aswell as to the home relationships. Because parentsneed to feel reassured that the child is going to havea good school experience, many schools hold aninitial parent meeting prior to the beginning of theyear. At this meeting, the school staff is introduced;the tentative outline of the school year and the basicstructure of a school day are presented. Specificproblems and needs are discussed. Such topics asclothing, trips, snacks and lunches, health regulations,school policy, parent conferences, and transportationmay be topics of genuine interest to both parentsand teacher.

The sturdiest five-year-old may find the first fewdays of any new experience away from home andfamily an emotionally and physically tiring experience.For this reason, the first days of school adjustmentmust be carefully planned; Some schools allow smallgroups of children to attend for part of a session beforemeeting the entire group. Others have part of thegroup attending successive days during the first week.Still another plan uses gradual introduction of childrenstarting with a small group and adding a few moreeach day.

In spite of careful preparation and planning withchild and parent, a few children may find the first dayof school so emotionally upsetting that it is wise toask the mother to stay in the classroom, or just downthe hall where coffee is being served by other mothers.The child does not feel deserted nor rejected when heknows his parent is near at hand. if an occasionalfive-year-old needs to sit by mother while he observesthe other children for the first hour or so, the teacheris wise to invite the mother to stay until he feelscomfortable.

The simplest centers of interest are set up readyfor the child: some of them fami;:ar, and some newand challenging, some reflecting home environment,

32 and some pointing toward the new world of school.

While a good school beginning is the first stepin developing home-school relationships, constantinterpretation of the program and a continuousconversation with parents are necessary to maintaina good school program. Re-evaluation of goals, andadjustment to the needs and gr9wth of the childrengive direction to the program V6rough the year.

CENTERS OF INTEREST

The kindergarten teacher arranges her room inlearning centers, gathering together those materialswhich children need for any center of interest.

The location of these centers in her classroom isgiven careful consideration by attention to:

Availability of close supervision when childrenare learning to use tools or equipment safely.

Availability of water (preferably running) nearcenters where it is needed.

Accessibility to storage space where childrenmay obtain and return materials, and thereby learn theimportance of the order and classification of objects.

Arrangement of traffic patterns so that blocks willnot be knocked down, arms bumped whilepainting, or dramatic play interrupted, and sothat individuals and small groups can learn toConcentrate.

Availability of adequate lighting.

The selection of these centers is one of the majortasks in planning for the year. Many centers are setup for use during the entire school year; others forshort periods of time. The materials in each centerwill vary with new items being added while othersare removed.

The maturity of the children, the previous usechildren have made of the center, the time of year, orthe specific emphasis the teacher wishes to make atone particular time will determine which centers areadded to those which are ongoing.

None of the centers is likely to include all of thesuggested equipment and supplies at any one time.(A suggested list for purchase is given in Appendix D)

The following centers and materials are suggested,

throughout the year:

'Block- Construction Center

Unit blocks, hollow blocks, and/or interlocking blocksprovide children with important experiences inunderstanding space in its various dimensions and forms.They also provide essential preverbal mathematicalexperiences for the young child.

Block construction sets the stage for dramatic playactivities which reinforce social studies learning foryoung children.

Essential to this dramatic play are toys whichsymbolize the equipment that children see in use intheir environment: farm and road equipment toys,rockets, mounted steering wheel, farm and animalfigures, and family figures.

Toys and autos that have diversity of function arepreferable; for example, a dump truck in preference toan auto; a cargo boat to a passenger ship; a derrick toa racing car.

*Family-Living Center

Dress-up clothingmens' and womens'; real hatsof workers; a variety of dolls in age, sex, and color;child-sized stove, sink, refrigerator, pots, pans, dishes,

eds, table, chairs, doll stroller, ironing board, iron,broom, mop, dustpan, telephones (at least two); dollclothes, shaving kit, stethoscope, "fix it" kit, andbrief case. The appropriate props can easily and quicklychange this flexible renter into a medical clinic, abusiness office, a science laboratory, an artist's studio,or some other area of equal interest associated with anoccupational role.

* Library Center

Picture and story books displayed on a table orbookrack in an inviting way. (Flannel board)

but those marked with an asterisk are usually available 33

listening Center

Tape recorder, earphones, language master, singleconcept films and projector, recorded stories, recordedpoetry, recordings of their own voices, teacher-recordedlearning materials are suggestive of multimediadevelopments which encourage listening and responding.

Music Center

Autoharp, ukelelee, melody bells, sticks, triangles,maracas, tambourine, drums, a record player andrecords, colored scarves for dancing.

*Art Center

Easels, brown wrapping paper, newsprint, manila,construction paper, crepe tissue, large brushes,tempera paint, finger paint, playdough, chalk, crayons,scotch tape and paste.

"Indoor Large Muscle Center

Indoor climber, rope ladders, balance beams,sawhorse, cleated boards, water table and toyscontainers for measuring, molding, pouring, and sifting.

"Center for Outdoor Play

Climbers, rope ladders, light weight ladders, largesandbox and sand toys, tricycles, wagons, gardentools, wheelbarrows, packing boxes, butterfly net,cleated boards in various lengths, sawhorses, largedrain tile, balls, slide, butterfly net. (Arranged in zonesas in the classroom.)

Woodworking Center

Workbench with vise, soft wood in variousdimensions, hammer and saw, nails (large bead).

34

*Center for Individual and Small Group Activities

Puzzles, picture lotto games, picture domino cards;leggo blocks, hammer-nail sets, landscape pegboards,viewers, primer typewriter, matching games,manuscript alphabet, magnetic letters, parquetry blocks.

Nature Materials and Scien'ce Center

Seeds, acorns, leaves, bugs (a bug cage made fromtwo 10" cake pans and a yard of screening), rocks,fossils, shells, magnifying glass, prism, magnets,batteries, battery lights, electric bells, balance scales,aquarium, terrarium, animal cages.

Center for Mathematics Manipulative Materials

Number games, puzzles, abacus, number sorter,measuring instruments, calendar, form boards of geometricshapes, flannel. board with cut-outs.

Scavenging and Hoarding

Kindergarten teachers continue to merit their well-established reputations as collectors and/ or treasurehunters. School storerooms and closets overflow withassorted boxes, cans, plastic containers of all types;spools, sponges, old purses, hats, high heeled shoes,and other bits of usable discards. If these are rescuedin time from the trash can and hoarded, some item willbecome that all-important missing ingredient for whicha child or group has instant need.

Teachers may scout the community; look for unclaimeditems in lost and found centers; ask for discardedboxes and useful items at stores and shops; alertfamily and friends to needs and wishes. Children andparents may be the richest resources.

Blocks may be made by cutting, sanding, andvarnishing various lengths of wood; uncooked macaroni,sand, feathers, buttons, bits of ribbon or cloth may beused for collage; wallpaper books, construction paper

scraps, or pictures for scrapbooks; old socks for handpuppets or bean bags 'nner tubing and large cans fortom-toms and drui o bottle tops for countinggames or play mor ey oid jewelry for dressup orcollage; plastic containers for housekeeping, waterand sand play, and/or storage of small items.

The use of discarded materials offers endlesspossibilities to the kindergarten program for utilizationof crtative ideas and abilities. Children have opportunitiesfor`working with familiar items and for developingappreciation of multiple usage of materials. Collectingcan provide a working bond between parents, thechildren, and the teacher. The exchange of materialsand ideas may be endless.

PARENTS' CONTRIBUTION TOTHE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

In communities where there have benn earlychildhood education programs with genuine parentparticipation, the children have profited from knowingthat the home and school are working toward a commonobjective. A true per,nership can be achieved in afr.mework of mu'.ual acceptance, respect, and trust.

One of the contributions which Project Head Starthas made to eaIv childhood education has been itseffective parent invol% ament program which representeda new trend in hornoschool relationships and a newapproach to parental responsibility in helping to planappropriate educational programs for young children.The teacher seeks to understand the assets andlimitations of each family in order to know how toprovide for the child. In this closer relationship withthe school, parents are no longer overawed by theformidable and punitive aspects of the school as theyremember it. As they accept this new role in the school,often in the classroom itself, they learn more aboutchild growth and development, more about the wayin which academic objectives for young children can bemet, and become more supportive of the teacher andthe school program.

The role of the parent as a contribuAg member ofthe educational team is still quite new to many, andmeaningful participation is not easy in the initial stages.Some suggestions of ways in which parents can helpare:

Assisting during special learning experiences inthe classroom (such as making soup).

Sharing homes or backyards for culmination ofneighboorhood walk.

Accompanying the class on a study trip.

Acting as risource persons for special studiesand holidays.

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Sharing skills and hobbies such as carpentry, sewing,music, photography.

Assisting as room mothers.

It is indeed rare for a teacher to be turned away froma home when she has gone in the spirit of mutualconcern for the child, rather than with an attitude ofprying, inspecting, or criticizing. The kindergartenteacher can be of real service to the total schoolprogram by building a foundation for parent involvment.

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CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Any kindergarten classroom may be expected toinclude children having a wide range of mental andphysical abilities, personality and behavior patterns,and characteristics Within this range, there may beore or more children who are readily identifiablebecause of special abilities, or kick of them; physicallimitations as sight or hearing, or emotional orpsychological difficulties. It is important for teachersand administrators to be aware of the limitations ofthe classroom, of the distinction between teachingar.d treatment, and to know when and how to seekprofeselonal help, and to make use of appropriateresources. It is frequently possible to meet the needs ofko exceptional child in a regular classroom without,nortchanging him or the remainder of the childrenin the group. Because the severity of the educationalproblem is often not easily recognized, any handicappedchild should be referred to the director of specialeducation for evaluation as to the child's bestplacement.

According to The School Code of Illinois, specialprograms for kindergarten age children must beprovided for mentally retarded children, the speechhandicapped child, those with orthopedic conditions,the blind and partially sigh' d, and the deaf and hardof hearing. Many new and interesting programs arebeing developed, such as programs with teacher teamsof ,nursery /kindergarten teacher, and the specialteacher; home visit;ng teachers, in both urban andrural are-,s villa work with parents and children priorto school enrollment.

No single plan works bast for all kindergartenteachers or with all children, but some suggestionsmay be helpful. Opportunities to experience successin any area, exposure to special activities or equipmenton a structured or informal basis, or the widening ornarrowing of limits, may be among those techniqueswhich will be most effective.

DAILY SCHEDULES

Care should be taken to limit the number of Balanced Programsexceptional children in a single group. There should .be some evidence, after a reasonable length of time, Young children need programs that are balancedthat the exceptional child is able to profit from the in many ways:experience without requiring an unreasonable amountof teacher time, and without otherwise detractingmarkedly from the quality of experience of the other Exploration and discovery balanced by teacherchildren in the class. Teachers may find help for directed activitieschildren through the Office of the Superintendent ofPublic Instruction, Division of Special Education Individual activities balanced by group activities.Services. As a result of the mandatory legislation, Section10-20.20, The School Code of Illinois, nearly 100% of Creative arts balanced by the content fields.the counties in Illinois now have the services of adirector of Special Education. Information regarding Listening balanced by being listened to.Special Education Services and the name and addressJf the director may be obtained from the office of Vigorous play balanced by less active play.the Superintendent of the Educational Service Region.

The presence of an exceptional child in theclassroom may be a rewarding experience for teachersand children. Sensitivity to the differences and thefeelings of other children and learning how to help themare among the important outcomes to be valued.

Large muscle activities balanced by smallmuscle activities.

Firsthand experiences balanced by vicariousexperiences.

Outdoor activities balanced by indoor activities.

A balance between the four phases ofdevelopment, physical, social, emotional, andintellectual.

Balance is not achieved by giving equal weight,but by appropriate weighing of each.

Some young children profit by attending all daykindergarten but the experience can be emotionallyover-stimulating and physically exhausting to others.It is the duty of parents, schools, and communityagencies to work toward the best interests of youngchildren. Kindergarten and their timetables are notsacred; children are!

The school day for Head Start and Follow ThroughPrograms is extended to provide lunch with a shortrest at school. The children are dismissed at 1:30 or

2:00 p.m. Children, not in special programs, should befurnished lunches when they are needed, and should bereturned to their homes at 1:30 or 2:00 p.m. whennecessary transportation is available.

These sample schedules are designed to showbalance of activities and blocks of time. Each teacherwill vary her schedule within these according to schoolfacilities and requirements, and according to needsof her children, including nutritional requirements andthe increase in maturity during the year.

Sample Schedules for Half Day Sessions

3 hour 2Y2 Hour

9:00-10:00 9:00-10:00

Activity-work period

This is the foundation of the kindergartenprogram. Children explore the centers ofinterest, the materials designed for stimulatingintellectual and cognitive development, engagein dramatic play, or choose any art or craftmaterial which has been put out for the day.Many activities are going on at the same time.Often, there can be both indoor and outdooractivities simultaneously if the teacher has anaide.

This time can also be used for trips, or forplanning activities directed toward a unit ofinterest.

The teacher may give individual instruction,or do some directive teaching with small groups.

Neighborhood trips may be taken at thistime, or during the outdoor play time. Specialtrips may take an entire morning.

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10:00-10:20 10:00-10:10

Clean up, evaluation, and planning.

The children discuss progress of the activityperiod and plan for the following day.

10:20-10:45 10:10-10:30

Toileting, looking at books, and snack.

When toilet facilities are a part of theclassroom, a special time allotment will notbe necessary.

Rest needs will usually be met by a changeof pace. A few children may need to lie downto rest.

10:45-11:25 10:30-11:00

Music and creative rhythm story and poetry.

When weather prohibits outdoor play, theseactivities and others may be extended to -dismissal time.

11:25-11:55 11:00-11:25

Outdoor play.

12:00 11:30

Dismissal.

These time blocks may be used for afternoonschedules, but their order may need adaptation.

As the year progresses, time schedules will varyaccording to the maturity of the children.

A Sample Program foran All Day Session

Some districts with transportation problems may havean all day session. Extended outdoor play, lunch andsnacks, and an adequate rest period are importantfeatures of the longer day.

8:30- 9:45 Activity period or work period, fruitjuice, clean up.

9:45-10:20

10:20-10:40

10:40-11:00

11:00-12:00

12:00- 1:30

1:30- 2:00

2:00- 2:30

2:30- 3:20

3:20- 3:30

Group meetings, sharing period,planning.

Snack.

Music, creative rhythm, or creativedramatics.

Outdoor play.

Lunch, rest or sleep on cots.

Individual quiet activities or smallgroup story as children awaken.

Creative rhythms, games, story.

Outdoor play.

Dismissal.

Evaluation of the Child's Growth

The teacher is continuously observing and evaluatingthe growth and behavior of each child. This kind ofevaluation is important in her planning and in herselection of learning experiences throughout the year.

The teacher may develop check lists, profile sheetsor other mechanical forms to aid in her observation,but she never loses sight of the child. Use of theseforms may sometimes become mechanical. In perfectingher skill in observing and recording the behavior ofeach child, opportunities to help him to grow anddevelop become apparent to her.

Parents will expect to know how their children areprogressing in school. Conferences with parents canbe most effective in accomplishing this goal.

However, if a conference becomes a rehearsal oftest scores and academic profiles, or comparison ofchildren within the group, the results will be misleading.When a conference is well-planned, and there ismutual sharing of information about the child, theresult can be beneficial to the parents, the teachers,and the child.

Informal talks, at the classroom door or in the grocerystore, have their place. Released time for conferencesprovides opportunity for the teacher to presentcarefully recorded information, to share the child'swork, to exchange ideas about the child, and to planfor his continued growth.

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42

THE ROLE OF THE ADMINISTRATOR

Educational Leaders' Role in Early Childhood

The principal, as with the superintendent, is cast in astrategic role in education. When he takes fulladvantage of his position, he can play an importantpart in enhancing early childhood education. We arein an inventive period in education. Old ways of doingthings are tumbling before our eyes as the drive toincrease the effectiveness of the school programcontinues. We have not yet eliminated track systems,broken down the grade barriers, nor have we learnedto teach inductively with the child learning the skiilsof inquiry, or the ways to live a full life in a democraticsociety, but we have caught the spirit of these things.The challenge now is much less one of inventingthan of implementing the effective learning opportunitiesin our schools. Therefore, the principal and staff mustcontinually search for better ways to achieve qualityeducation programs for young children.

Many fundamental questions related to earlychildhood education are becoming an educationalconcern, and these must be taken into account by theprjncipal_in_leadership responsibilities. Among theconcerns of the Educational Policies Commission andthe American Association of School Administrators isthat the, :'. . . general system of universal publiceducation should be expanded and all children shouldhave the opportunity to go to school at public expensebegi ming at the age of four." 5

Some questions of concern, as yet unanswered are:

Should all four- and five-year olds be given theopportunity to attend preschools?

Should compensatory preschool education beexpanded?

Should all children begin school at the age of three?

What type or types of schools should thesechildren attend?

What difference does family experience maketoward a child's readiness for school?

The administrator may wish to refer to TheSchool Code of Illinois. (Relevant paragraphsmay be found in Appendix E)

Specitic Responsibilities and TeacherExpectations of the Principal

In achieving success in the development of aneffective kindergarten program, the principal:

Keeps informed of current research and practicein early childhood education.

Provides funds for instructional materials,equipment, and physical facilities necessaryto conduct an effective program.

Strives with the teachers to involve parents inthe total school program to keep the lines ofcommunication open.

Provides resource assistance and time for teachersto carry on curriculum study through suchmeans as inservice programs; attendance atstate and national meetings, intervisitation andintravisitation.

Participates as a member of the professionalteam in the continuous development andimplementation of effective learning programs.

Provides special services for those youngchildren needing help in special areas whichrequire the assistance of such professionals asschool health nurse, speech therapist,psychologist, and others.

Provides time for the kindergarten teachers towork with the primary teachers to develop asequential program.

Selecting the Kindergarten Facilities

A normally-bright, sunny clessroom can be adaptedto the needs of a kindergarten, but care must be takento see that floor space of 40 to 60 square feet perchild is allowed. A rectangular-shaped room can beeasily arranged for kindergarten activities. An L-shapedroom, or one with nooks or bay windows can lenditself effectively to the program, if care is taken to seethat large unobstructed space is available, and thatthe teacher can supervise the whole room.

Running Water sinks, drinking fountains, and toiletiacilities should be provided in every classroom.

Playground facilities shoulzi provide at least 75square feet of space for each child. If necessary, otherprimary grades may share a playground with thekindergarten but not simultaneously. Fencing maybe needed if there are safety hazards such as traffic.Equipment for large muscle activity should be providedand a storage shed for wheel toys is desirable.

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

The American Associatir n of Elementary-Kindergarten-Nursery Educators states that decent standards dictatethat the kindergarten be a class of about twenty children,with one paid teacher and at least one aide, either paidor unpaid.

This does not eliminate the utilization of larger andsmaller groups for specific activities when the programdictates and when_space_and_number of personnelpermits. There are times when a kindergarten teacheror a member of the supportive staff may choose towork with one or two children for a period of timeon some special need.

Selecting the Staff

In selecting kindergarten teachers, the principalchooses those who have a thorough knowledge andunderstanding of the growth and development ofchildren, as well as a working knowledge of educationaltheories and practices for children of this age. Theprincipal should look for distinct personal qualities,including empathy, warmth, and emotional maturity.

In Illinois, the kindergarten teacher must be certified,but (See Appendix E) the principal must look beyond thecertificate for specific qualifications such as actualparticipation under supervision in a program for youngchildren, either in preservice or inservice training.Specific programs leading to a major in early childhoodeducation and in child development are available inseveral teacher education institutions of higher learningin Illinois, and more are being instituted. Graduatesof these approved programs wilt -meet standards forpreparation suggested by professional oiganizations.6Many teachers graduating from elementary educationprograms are qualified for early childhood educationas well.

Present certification requirements throughout thecountry are under discussion. 7 Some would certifyteachers who have proven competency in the classroomno mctter what, if any, college program they havepursued. The vulnerability of the child at this age,and the quality of the decisions required of the teachereach day, make the selection of staff for youngchildren one of the most important roles for theadministrator.

Teacher-aides

The principal should be familiar with the qualificationsas established by the Office of the Superintendent ofPublic Instruction, in consultation with the StateTeacher Certification Board, for the employment ofteacher-aides who receive financial compensation.

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These qualifications are as follows:

Thirty semester hours of credit from a recognizedinstitution of higher education.

Good character and good health.

United States citizenship.

Compliance with that portion of Section 24.5 ofThe School Code of Illinois requiring physicalfitness and freedom from communicable disease,and the statute requiring annual evidence offreedom from tuberculosis.

Persons with these qualifications may be involvedin classroom instruction under the direct supervisionof the classroom teacher.

Teacher-aides may be employed for classroomassistance, playground, and lunchroom supervision ofyoung children, if they comply with Section 24.5 ofThe School Code of Illinois.

If teacher-aides are to work effectively as auxiliarypersonnel, they must possess such attributes as interestin working with children and compatibility with theassigned teacher. The principal should provide thenecessary time and resources for the classroomteacher and teacher-aides to become involved ininservica programs to prepare for their respectivecooperative roles in working with young children.

Inservice Programs

All professional and non-certified staff membersneed to be involved in a continuous inservice programwhich becomes an integral part of the total curriculumprogram.

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Kindergarten should become an important beginning,as the total staff develops and implements an effecuvecurriculum which it: committed to:

A statement of basic philosophy and point ofview which begins with kindergarten.

A study of the concerns of children whichbegins with kindergarten.

A study of curriculum design with specialreference to the problems of integration andarticulation which begin with kindergarten.

A study of school-community relationships whichbegins with kindergarten.

The schools are for the children; therefore, the totalinservice program should reflect a sincere concern forthe development of sequential learning experiences forall children beginning from the first day contact withschool.

Working with Parents

Mothers, fathers, teachers, and principals are allimportant persons in planning early education programs.The importance of cooperation has long been recognized.As the teachers and administrators find creative andimaginative ways to work with parents, the moreeffective the learning experiences for the child willbe. When parents are included in the school program,the more likely they are to support quality education.The quality of kindergarten education depends uponthe resources and the support that a whole communityprovides. A good kindergarten emerges and survivesonly in a climate of public opinion based upon theunderstanding of the philosophy of early education, whyit is necessary; how to help the children who attend;how, in the long run, it can contribute to a child'stotal growth pattern.

To develop this vital ccoperation between homeand school, the principol must provide time, funds,and leadership to assist the teacher in planningopportunities for parents to become involved in realdialogues. Parents must have an understanding of thegoals of early childhood education, so that they maycontribute to the education of their children.

The principal and teacher must build good personalrelationships with parents. Parents must know theirchild's principal and teacher. Strangers are seldomable to communicate and rarely feel trust and confidencein each other. Since the beginning days of school arecritically important, the principal and teacher shouldplan for an effective orientation program. They should:

Allow a week before the opening of school forthe kindergarten teacher to visit parents in thehome or invite them to the school. a.0

Plan an interview where a patent tells a teacherabout the child's early life.

Plan, develop, and publicize a clear policy ofschool entrance requirements and registrationprocedures. (The need for securing health recordand birth certificates should be made clear.Special fees, transportation requirements, andschool schedules should be explained.)

Begin to build pertinent information in thechild's confidential file.

The principal should support the teacher indeveloping an ongoing program between parent-child-teacher. Some suggested ways to provide an ongoingprogram are:

Use of telephone to chat with those parents

Use room meetings to talk with parents aboutthe program, young children, and specialinterests and concerns.

Use parents in the classroom as participants tobuild a better program for the children.

Use the newsletter to report to parents a samplestory of what the children did and why they did it.

Use individual conferences for teacher and parentsto share knowledge aboin the child and hisprogress.

Uze parent visitation of class to observe thechid working in the classroom environment.

Establish a parent center in an informal spacewith a bookshelf and reading materialsavailable where parents may browse enjoy acup of coffee, and informal conversa

Have children's books available to parents forsharing at home.

Through such a parent-school program, teachers,principals, and parents come :o the realization thattheir educational goals for children are similar. Theysoon learn that they have much to offer each other;and, as a result of their sharing, all profit.

Suggested Equipment and Materials for EarlyChildhood Education Programs

Keeping in mind the way:; in which children learn,selection of materials and equipment should be madeon the basis of some of he following considerations:

who cannot come to school. Contribution to implementation of goals.

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Ability to suggest construction of equipmentand inspire creative expression.

Ability to arouse curiosity and interest.

Safety, stability, and freedom from sharp cornersand splintering.

Provision for physical ac:ivity and manipulation.

Ability to suggest dramatic play and communicationof ideas.

Suitability of materials and equipment for groupand individual use.

The use of appropriate equipment and materials, whenwisely chosen by teachers and administrators, canfoster important educational objectives ofresourcefulness, creativity, responsibility,independence, and social and motor skills. A minimallist of equipment needs for an early childhood educationprogram may be found in Appendix D.

Articulation Between Kindergartenand Primary Grades

Articulation should be carefully planned to providea continuum in early childhood education, since formany years the kindergarten and primary programs havebeen separated in some schools.

Teachers of kindergarten and teachers of first gradeneed opportunities to plan together in an effcet toachieve articulation. Each needs to know, often throughviewing firsthand, what is happening at the other'slevel of education.

Educators need to be aware of children as individualshaving different paces of development, different stylesof operating in a classroom, and different educationalneeds. Diagnosing these needs at the individual level,

46 and providing for these needs, would limit the concern

for articulation, for child differences and childexpectations would replace grade expectations. Artificiallines of demarkation should be eliminated, and childrenallowed to progress along a continuum unfettered bylabels segregating kindergarten activities from primaryactivities.

Evaluation of Program

The administrator, in consultation with the teacher,will frequently ask himself: Do we have a good programfor young children? Are we meeting the needs ofchildren in this community? What are we doing todevelop a healthy self-concept for each child? Are wefostering positive feelings and attitudes? Are weexpanding the learning questions even though testingof academic achievement appears to be a relatively easyanswer to questions about evaluation, but it does notanswer these searching questions.

The following checklist is suggestive of the kind ofevaluation which might be used to broaden the basefor evaluation, looking beyond standardized tests. Ifthere are few checks in the "yes" column and manyin the "no," the conclusion that the kindergartenprogram needs scrutiny could be justified.

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CHECKLIST FOR EVALUATION

YES! NO!

1. Children talking and singing in learning activities. 1. Children sitting at tables or desks and learning tobe quiet.

2. Children playing and walking alone or in smallgroups.

2. Children waiting to see what the teacher wants themto do.

3. Children taking their own materials and equipmentfrom open shelves and readily available storage.

3. Adult-chosen materials and adult-directed activitiespredominating.

4. Children using their own ideas in painting anddrawing.

4. Children filling in coloring books or copying theteacher's pattern.

5. Children manipulating new materials and exploringtheir possibilities.

5. Adult dictating how to use new materials.

6. Children being given advance notice that it willsoon be tima to stop what they are doing.

6. Adult impatiently waiting for child to put away hiswork or doing the job for him.

7. Progress being praised.7. Adult scolding or shaming a child for lack of

progress.

8. Warm, friendly adult putting an arm around a child,g;ving a pat, or taking an upset child on her lap.

8. Adult aloof or cold in her contacts with a child.

9. Adult speaking to child calmly and quietly. 9. Adult shouting at child across the room.

10. Adult listening to children with interest and respect.10. Adult talking continuously without chance for

children to respond.

11. An understanding adult who tries to find. out whya child misbehaves

11. Adult labeling children "bad" or "troublemakers."

12. Adult accepting the child's feelings.12. Telling a child that good boys and girls never cry,

hate, or get angry.

13. Adult respecting the child's feelings. 13. Talking about a child in his presence.

14. The mother of a child upset by the first day, staying 14. Telling the mother of an upset child to leave whennearby, he is not looking; that he will just cry it out.

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Division VI

4-

Some Concepts and Issues

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SOME CONCEPTS AND ISSUES

Development

As a child grows older, he changes. His bodystructure and the way it functions, his feelings, theway he thinks, his behavior are all different from whatthey were when he was a little younger. This ongoingprocess of change with age is called development.

There is a continuity and a regularity to the kinds oftransformations which take place, and each stage ofdevelopment is related to the one which preceded it.In the past we have been primarily concerned with whatwe can expect of the child at each age and stage.Today, we are more concerned with the sequentialsteps from one level of maturity to the next and thefactors which either facilitate or retard the transformation.

Maturation

The older meaning of this concept is usuallyassociated with Arnold Gesell, whose influence onpreschool education is well known. Gesell thought ofmaturation as a genetically determined process whichregulates all development, even that in which learningis a factor. Maturation came to be thought of thus,as a kind of internal ripening resulting in the acquisitionof "readiness" in certain capacities.

The new knowledge of child development hascaused some experts to discard the term, except whenit refers to the process of becoming more mature.Actually, the concept does have important implicationsfor early childhe education and probably should bekept and clarifieo.

Today, the term maturation does not necessarilyexclude environmental influences (incidental experience).It simply designates those components of adevelopmental sequence in which the influence ofspecific practice can be excludzd. Maturationalinfluences may be more potent in the acquisition ofsome capacities, for example, the early motor sequences,while others are largely determined by learning.

Readiness

The child demonstrates readiness when he is ableto profit from instruction. Optimal readiness for learningindicates that point at which a child can learn best,

Iwith.least effort, and without undue stress. The term'readiness" is used most often in conjunction with the

begir...'ngs of formal instruction in reading and numberwork. The concept of readiness, however, may beapplied to any contact or level of learning.

A child's developmental status, his motivation ordesire to learn, and his prior learnings contribute invarying degrees to his state of readiness for a particularlearning. It follows, that readiness for learning must beconceived in terms of individual children; and also, theselection of materials and methods of instruction.

The immutability of maturational rate is implicit inthe recommendations of some authorities. Kindergarm.rretention; postponement of reading instruction; or moreinstruction at a slower pace ere typical responses to lowreading readiness scores prior to first grade entrance.The apparent goal is to help the child fit into a schoolsystem where reading expectancies do not match hisslow rate of maturation. The book, School Readiness,by Ilg and Ames 8 represents this position.

There has been a significant change in our conceptof readiness since the advent of Head Start. Suchprograms were designed to develop readiness, notjust wait for it. Learnings prerequisite to school successwere identified. Experiences which provided these!earnings were made available to the children. Today'sprogram planners no longer view readiness as theproduct of maturation alone. They are convinced thatit can be and is created through the interaction ofmaturation and experience.

Intelligence

The three factors of intelligence are ( 1) potentiality,which refers to the genetically determined upper limits;(2) capacity, the level of mental development which

increases with age as the child interacts with hisenvironment; and (3) ability, the child's intellectualperformance level at the present time his ability tocope with the tasks or circumstances of the moment.

The child's ability to perform on an intelligencetest, for example, is subject to influence by manyfactors especially his developmental level (capacity).and what he has learned to date. Probably few childrenreach their full potential at any level of mentaldevelopment.

Cognitive

The term is from a Latin derivative meaning tobecome acquainted with or know; concerned withknowing. When teachers talk about thought processesand the manner in which a child comes to know thereality of the world in which he lives, they are discussingthe cognitive domain. The sheer complexity of theenvironment is reduced as he develops the ability todifferentiate its properties, to think about them in groupsbecause of certain similarities, and to classify thesegrouped objects into a hierarchy of categories.

Learning

Learning is a modification of behavior due to practice,repeated similar experience, or training. It may alsobe thought of as the internalization of experience.

Individual Differences

Children differ from one another in terms of theirgrowth rate, intelligence, school achievement, interests,body types, physical activity levels, personal behavior,and in dozens of other ways.

Group differences also exist as exemplified by thecase of sex and race. Behaviors which appear the samein any group may be due to the shaping of the culture.It should be noted, however, that individual differencesalso exist within these groups.

Behavior Modification

Learning theorists point out that behavioral responsesmay be strengthened or weakened by stimuli whicheither precede or follow tIe response. The latter typebehaviors which are s' Igthened or weakened by theirstimulus consriquer , are referred to as operants.The term °perm: indicates that the child operates onhis environmem io bring about a stimulus change. Forexample, he turns on the TV set to obtain a picture.

Stimuli which strengthen the behavior they followare called positive reinforcers. Approval, candies,tokens, and points are familiar examples of these.Some operants produce neutral stimuli. Other behaviorsare strengthened because they result in avoidance,termination, or reduction, or unpleasant stimuli, forexample, spankings, ridicule, scolding. Such stimuli areregarded as negative reinforcers.

Behavior modification in the home and school settingsemphasizes the positive reinforcement of desiredbehavior. For example, a young child who has difficultyin relatinu positively to other children might bepraised for each tiny indication of social approach toanother child. Similar positive reinforcers might beused for a non-verbal child's every effort at oralexpression, no matter how minute. Immediacy of thereinforcement is of prime importance because delaycan dissipate the reinforcement effect.

It should be noted that some behavior must bepresent before it can be strengthened. Reading cannotbe reinforced in the child who cannot read, but the"bits and pieces" of behavior that make up readingcan be positively reinforced. Thus, operant conditioning,the core concept in behavior modification, postulates akind of successive approximation to a partiCular behavioralachievement through successive rewards along the way.

Unfortunately, the same reinforcers do not r.ecessarilywork for all children, nor for any one child at all times.The trick is to find the most appropriate and potentreinforcement cant;ngencies. Candies are inappropriatefor the child who is allergic to chocolate, hates candy, 51

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or has an upset stomach that day. A second trick is toensure the immediacy, and, hence, the effectiveness ofthe reinforcement. Despite these two knotty problems,behavior modification is-being-field tested in anincreasing number of classrooms.

Fundamental Positions on Early Education

It would appear that the various approaches andorganizational patterns of early childhood programs,both past and present, stem from three broadfundamental positions. Kohlberg9 (1969) has identifiedthese as (1) maturational; (2) cultural training; and(3) cognitive-developmental.

MaturationalThis view holds that the mostimportant part of a child's velopment is that whichcomes from within him, and that the most appropriatepreschool environment is one which will facilitate butnot force the unfolding process. The so-called"traditional preschool" most often associated withthe work of Gesell, is representative of this position.

Cultural Training-Advocates of this view assumethat the important ;,art of a child's development is hislearning of the important knowledge and rules ofhis culture, and that the preschool sho,uld focus itsefforts on the direct teaching of such content and rules.The Bereiter-Engelman program has its roots in thisbasic position; as do many other perschool programswhich consistently employ Skinner-inspired teachingmaterials, techniques, and programmed instructionto teach specific content and skills.

Cognitive-DevelopmentalSometimes referred to asthe "interactional view," leans heavily on the workof Piaget. It is assumed that the child's mentalstructure develops in cognitive stages which are sequentialand invariant, and which emerge naturally as aconsequence of the child's interaction with hisenvironment. General experience and especially sensory

motor experiences are considered essential for cognitivedevelopment at the preschool stage.

Structured vs Unstructured Programs

All early childhood education programs have structurein that all involve some kind of planning. The issue isnot one of structure vs lack of structure, but ratherthe degree of flexibility, the diversity of materials, andthe range of the learning experiences available to thechild.

Some programs set tight limits on behavior, allowonly prescribed ways of using materials, and presentskills and content in a prescribed way accord;: to afixed sequence, and at a set time. There is tittle freedomfor self selection materials and activities in suchhighly structured curricula. On the other hand, programswhich feature free play and free choice of activitiesalso structure the environment, usually according toa time schedule and a planned sequence of events.

It is possible that most programs would benefitfrom some carefully structured and some less structuredpresentation of learning experiences. If we accept theidea that mental development itself has structureand advances in stages,, then it follows that earlychildhood education programs should be sensitive,to developmental levels and should so structure theenvironment as to maximize the match between eachchild's skills and interests and the challenge of eachlearning task.

Team Teacl.mg

One of the newer methods of organizing groups ofchildren for instruction is called team teaching. Teamplanning and evaluation are imperative to its success.Such teams may consist of one or two lead teachers;or a combination of lead teachers, assisting teachers,and teacher-aides. An example of this latter type maybe observed in preschool classes for the deaf andhard of hearing where a teacher and two 'specialeducation technicians work as a team.

Team teaching leans heavily on two assumptions:(1) that children will receive the benefit of instructionfrom the most capable teacher in a particular field, and(2) that exposure to more that one teaching personalitywill provide increased intellectual stimulation.

Group size may be expanded or contracted asactivities change, but small group work predominates.Perhaps the most important characteristic of teamteaching is the cooperative short and long term planning.Both planning and evaluation are tear. efforts.

Multi-Age Groups

Family type groups, in which ages are mixed, provideunique opportunities for social learning. The youngerchildren learn through imitation ,.5serving and playingwith the older children. The older children also gainas they achieve model competencyhelping and playingwith the younger children. The British Infant Schoolswith children five to seven are prime examples of themulti-age groups. There, even reading appears to bealmost effortlessly taught as the older child gains skillin reading to the younger children, and they,, in turn,begin to imitate reading behaviors.

Early R4ading

Reading is a rather complex process rooted inlanguage and composed of at least two fundamentaltasksdecoding and comprehension. The child isdecoding print to speech when he recognizes therelationship between a particular printed work and itsfamiliar spoken form. The ability to comprehend andinterpret what is decoded would depend on a closematch between the reading selection arid the child'scognitive :apacity to understand, interpret, and enjoyinformation and story reading.

Some children learn to read prior to schoolattendance. These children have usually experiencedand enjoyed being read to regularly; have parents whovalue books and reading; and attempt to imitate theact of reading repetitively modeled by their parentsand siblings.

Some children, who do not actually read beforeentering school, .rre highly motivated to learn this skill.:t is possible that learning the decoding skills is morechallenging, interesting, and enjoyable to the motivatedyounger child than to his older schoolmates. The

experts, who advocate such a procedure, wouldrecommend an optional, relaxed, and carefully plannedprogram emphasizing simple learnings and the sensorymotor meetanics of reading.

Footnotes:

1 A tape of this speech may be obtained from the Department of CurriculumDevelopment. Division of Instruction, Office of the Superintendentof Public Instruction

1 Erikson, Erik Childhood and Society 2 ed , Springfield.Illinois 62706 New York W W Horton & Company,1963

3 Bruner. Jercirric S The Process of Education CambridgeMassachusetts Harvard University Press 1965 p 52

4 Robson. Helen F and Bernard Spodek New Directions in the KindergartenNew York Teachers College Press,Columbia University, 1965

S The Educational Policies Commission Universe/Opportunity /or Early Childhood Education Washington, 0 C NationalEducation Association. 1966

6 Preparation Standards for Teo ..Irs in Early ChildhoodEducation' Childhood Education November, 1967 Reprints evadableAlso, Preliminary Report of the Ad Hoc Joint Committee on thePreparation of Nursery and Kindergarten Teachers National Commissionon Teacher Education and Professional Standards, National Educ.iiiicinAssociation, 1201 16th Street. N W , Washington. 0 C 20036

1

11g, Frances and Louise Bates Ames School ReadinessNew York Harper and Row, Publishers. 1965

9 Lawrence Kohlberg, Early Education A Cognitive DevelopmentChad Development, Vol XXXIX, No 4 (December. 19681,PP 1013 1062

53191

56

APPENPIX A

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHYOF SELECTED PROFESSIONAL BOOKS

1. Child Development - Psychology. .

Almy, Millie, et al Young Children's Thinking. New York:Teachers College Press, Columbia University, 1967.

A research report which substantiates certain aspectsof the Piaget theory and demonstrates its relevance tothe education of young children.

Breckenridge, Marian E. and Margaret Nesbit Murphy. Growthand Development of the Young Child. Philadelphia: W.B.Saunders, 1969, 8th ed.

Views the child to age five in a comprehensive,practical way. Extensive bibliography.

Erikson, Erik. Childhood and Society. New York: W.W.Horton and Co. 1963, 2nd ed.

A detailed account of Erikson's theory on personalitydevelopment.

Fraiberg, Selma H. The Magic Years. New York: Scribnerand Sons, 1959.

Easily understood concepts of personality development.Considered a classic by many.

Gardner, D. Bruce. Development in Early Childhood. NewYork: Harper and Row,, 1964.

Hartup, Willard W. et al. The Young Child - Reviews inResearch. Washington, D.C.: National Association forthe Education of Young Children, 1969.

Child development research reviews including:reinforcement, cognitive and conscious development, androle of play in learning. Introduction discusses howteachers can utilize research findings in the classroom.

Jenkins, Gladys. et al. These Are Your Children. Glenview,Illinois: Scott Foresman, 1966, 3rd ed.

About growth and development of children frompreschool to ten years. In a condensed and practicalform, gives norms for each grade level.

Leonard, Edith M. et al. Foundations of Learning in ChildhoodEducation.-Columbusrehio: Charles E. Merrill Books,Inc., 1963.

Stresses the implications of democratic living for theindividual child. Describes how to build a curriculumbased on six major goals. The chapter on block play ishelpful.

Maier, Norman. Three Theories of Child Development. NewYork: Harper and Row, 1965.

Jean Piaget, Erik Erikson, and Robert R. Searstheories are discussed and described as they operatein today's educational complex.

Murphy, Lois Barclay. Widening World of Children. New York:

Basic Books, 1962.A longitudinal research study of personality development

from infancy to adolescent, focuses on "Paths TowardMastery."

Smart, Mollie S. and Russet C. Children: Development andRelationships. New York: Macmillan Co., 1967.

Relates child growth and development to the personalitytheories of Erikson and the intellectual theories of Piaget.

11. Early Childhood Education - Programs, Curriculum,and Administration.Anderson, V.C. Reading and Young Children. New York:

Macmillan Co., 1968.

Beyer, Evelyn. Teaching Young Children. New York: WesternPublishing Co., Inc., 1968.

Points out the great need for quality child-teacherinteraction and for fostering positive attitudes towardlearning. Anecdotes give it a refreshing practical approach.

Chukovsky, Korne. From Two'to Five. Berkeley, California:University of California Press, 1963.

Translated from Russian, showing how children useand expand their language. Anecdotes add to pleasureof reading.

Cohen, Dorothy M. and Marguerita Rudolph. Kindergarten:A Year of Learning. New York: AppletonCentury-Crofts,1964.

Excellent manuscript on entire kindergarten curriculum,the why and how it should be 'eveloped. Suggestedteaching methods are empathet.c and perceptive.Chapters on literature and language are excellent.

Foster, Josephine, and Neith E. Headley. Education in theKindergarten. New York: American Book Co., 1966,4th ed.

Frost, Joe L. ed. Early Childhood Education Rediscovered.New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1968.

An excellent selection of readings covering severalview points and a wide coverage of early childhoodprograms.

Gray, Susan W et al. Before First Grade. Early ChildhoodEducation Series, 525 W. 120th Street, New York,New Yark, 1966.

A handbook of techniques and materials which havebeen successfully used with groups of disadvantagedchildren.

Hartley, R E. et al. The Complete Book of Children's Play.New York: Columbia University Press, 1960.

A comprehensive discussion of play and play materialsDetailed section on-books and films. Extensivebibliography

Huey, J. Frances. Teaching Primary Children. New York.Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1965.

A valuable basic book which covers teacher planningand curriculum development.

Hymes, James 1. Jr. Teaching the Child Under Six. Columbus,Ohio: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Co., 1968.

Written to convince administrators and parents of theimportance of well- thought- through goals for programsfor young children. The author has an introduction onarticulation which should be of interest to alladministrators.

Lee, Doris M. and R V. Allen. Learning to Read ThroughExperieare New York AppletonCentury-Crofts, 1963.

Book focuses on learning to read through experiences.Authors imply that experiences encom ')assing alllanguage arts contribute to reading development.

Leeper, Sarah H. er al. Good Schools for Young Children.New York: Macmillan Co., 1968.

An outstanding comprehensive coverage of the nature----of the young child, the curriculum content, and

organization of programs in schools, such as parentinvolvement, keep:rg of records, selection of physicalequipment. ana iorking with the exceptional child.

Moore, Elenora H. Fives at School, New York: G.P. Putnamand Sons, 1959.

Extensive description of school environment. D scussesprograms for downtown and suburban kinderyarte

Osborne, D.K ar:s1 D. Haupt Creative Activities for YoungChildren: Detroit. Munn Palmer Institute, 1964.

Suggestions of creative activities for young chi' irrEmphasis on inexpensive materials. Extensive bibliography.

Robison, Helen F. and Bernard Spodek. New Directions inthe Kindergarten. New York. Teachers College Press,Columbia Uriiversity, 1965.

Evaluates conventional kindergarten programs andsuggests some fresh creative ways of aid ng the moderncnild Fine bibliography.

Sharp, Evelyn. Thinking 3 Child's Play. New York. Duttonand Co., 1969.

Reports research findings about cognitive developmentand how children think. Practical suggestions for gamesfor young children are included.

Wann, Kenneth, et al. Fostering Intellectual Developmentin Young Children. New York. Teachers College Press,Columbia University, 1962.

Study concerned with ways to enrich children's programs.Investigation of children's concepts aric.' role of teacherin fostering intellectual development.

Wills, Clarice, Lucille Lindberg. Kindergarten for Today'sChildren. Chicago: Follett Education Corporation, 1967.

Helpful ideas, particularly in regard to equipping akindergarten, and planning science and nature studyexperiences.

For Parents and Teacher

Auerbach, Aline B. Parents Learn Through Discussion:Principles and Practices of Parent Group Education.New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1968. In cooperationwith Child Study Association of America.

Basic understanding of need for education ofparents. Various techniques are described; emphasisis placed on the relationship between teacher andparent.

Ballard, Virginia, and Ruth Strong. Parent Teacher Conferences.New York: McGrawHill, 1964.

Guidelines for teachers wnen they confer with parents;sets the stage for successful conferences.

Ginott, Haim G. Between Parent and Child. New YorkMacmillan Co., 1965.

Suggests ways m which parents can listen to theirchildren, keep 1:es of communication open, and maintaindiscipline and integrity. Light reading a best seller,

57

Kawin, Ethel. Basic Concepts for Parents, Volume I in aseries "Parenthood in a Free Nation " Lafayette, Indiana:Purdue Research Foundation, 1963.

Basic concepts and principles grouped under six majortopics which parents should understand. Excellent guidefor parent-teacher groups.

Kawin, Ethel. Early and Middle Childhood, Volume II in aseries "Parenthood in a Free Nation." Lafayette, Indiana:Purdue Research Foundation, 1963.

Describes what children are like. Non-technical, anddesigned especially for parents.

Larrick, Nancy. A Parent's Guide to Children's Education.New York: Trident Press, 1964.

Directed to parents sound basic principles, and goadsuggestions for activities. Annotated bibliography.

National School Public Relations Association. Working WithParents. N.R.A., 1968.

Focus on public relations begins in the classroom. Awide variety of school-to-home relationships are discussed

Taylor,, Katherine Whiteside. Parents and Children LearnTogether. New York: Teachers College Press, ColumbiaUniversity, 1967.

Established as guide for cooperative nursery scnools.Has valuable suggestions for working relationships amongparents and teachers.

APPENDIX B

SOURCES OF PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION

American Association of Elementary-KindergartenNurseryEducators, NEA,

1201 Sixteenth St., NW.Washington, D.C. 20036

Association for Cnildhood Education International3615 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W,Washington, D.C. 20016

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, NEA1201 Sixteenth Street, N.W.

58 Washington, D.C. 20036

Bank Street College of Education69 Bank StreetNew York, New York 10014

Child Study Association of America9 East 89th StreetNew York, New York 10029

Child Welfare League of America, Inc.24 West 40th StreetNew York, New York 10006

Department of Elementary School Principals, NEA1201 Sixteenth Street, N.W.Washington, ").C. 20036

Early Childhood Education Council of : :ew York148-41 Booth Memorial AvenueFlushing., New York 11355

The Merrill-Palmer Institute of Human Development and FamilyLife

71 East Ferry AvenueDetroit, Michigan 48202

National Association for the Education of Young Children1834 Connecticut AvenueWashington, Q.C. 20009

National Association for Mental Health, Inc.1790 BroadwayNew York, New York 10019

National Kindergarten Association8 West 40th StreetNew York, New York 10011

National Parent-Teacher Association700 North Rush StreetChicago, Illinois 60628

Teachers College, Columbia UniversityBureau of PublicationsNew York, New York 10027

APPENDIX C

FILMS ON EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Chance at the Beginning. A morning with a Harlem preschoolNew York University. Head Start.

Children's Emotions. 21m. B/W s,c. The roots of emotionalproblems are shown as they have their beginnings inearly childhood and how adults can prevent them.Crawley Films.

Discipline and Self-Control. Discipline within the classroomfocusing on the particular problems of children, andthe teacher's role in helping the child to develop self-control. Head Start.

Food As Children See It. 18m. B/W s,c. The nutritionalneeds of children presented to adults in a manner thatshows understanding of children and their problems.General Mills.

Four '.Thildren. The lives and-peeStirialifiTS of four children,exemplifying that they are alike in age,, but differentas people. Emphasizes the role of the teacher in

widing for individual needs and differences as theyon,,,ir with individual children. Head Start.

Jeannie Is A Good Thing. Nutrition is a vital part of thepreschool program. Growing, preparing, and eating foodis fun. Head Start.

Th1 Lively Art of Picture Books. 60m. Color. Help for theteacher in choosing and presenting picture books. Usefulfor parents as well. Weston Woods Studio, Weston,Conn., 06880

Long Time to Grow II. Activities and characteristics offour and five-year olds. Head Start

Organizing Flee Play Describes and shows childien invarious free play activities emphasizing the learningvalue of the activities Explains and illustrates theteacher's rile: in preparing for and participating in freeplay. Head Start.

Parents Are Teachers Too Parents are the first teachersand the need for continued cooperation is shown HeadStart.

Purple Turtle. 14m Color c,a. Children's use of variousart media and the fostering of creativity. AmericanCrayon Company.

Talking Together. Illustrates individual parent's views on whattheir children's education means to them. Shows parentsand teachers participating in an informal discussion. HeadStart.

They Can Do It. Inside a transitional room where Lovey Glenmakes it possible fol all to learn Outstanding. EducationalDevelopment Center, 55 Chapel St., Newton, Mass. 02160

Time of Their Lives 29m B/W Daily activities in thekindergarten Available from Illinois Education Association,Springfield.

Head Start films are available from Modern Ta,king Films,201 S. Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, Mis5ouni_63103or from Head Start Regional Training Offict5 at SouthernIllinois University. Carbondale, Illinois 62901 and atNorthern Illinois University at De Kalb 60115

59

APPENDIX D

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

Equipment Needs

Equipment for large-muscle activities

Balls - (rubber) (4", 6", 8", 10")Hollow boxes or blocks (12" and 24" x 12" x 6")Climbing apparatus (indoor and outdoor) climbing rope,

ladders, rings, jungle gymSwings (canvas bucket seats)Tricycles (16" and 20" ball bearing)Wagons (30" and 36" box)

Equipment and materials for manipulation

PuzzlesBeads (11/2") and bead lacesMechanical form boardsSimple bolt and lock setsPeg boardsParquetry blocksMatching gamepManipulative mathematics materialsMathematics manipulative materialsNuniber gamesPuzzlesAbacusNumber sorterMeasuring instrumentsCalendarForm boards of geometric shapesFlannelboard with cutouts

Equipment and materials for art and construction work

Workbench (24" x 42" x 26"--2 vises)Crosscut sawSawhorses, coping sawBrace (11/2 lb.) bits (1/4", '/2 ", 3/4 ")Clamps (metal 3", 4", 5")Hammers (13 oz. and 16 oz. flat head, claw)Screwdriver (8", 12")Screws (flat headed, assorted sizes)Pliers and wirecutterSquare (8" blade)Paint--enamel and flatShellacSoft wood and nails -- various sizes with large headsSandpaper (00-3)Easels (double, adjustable height)

Flannelboard and felt packagesStapler, punch, adult scissorsTapes: mending, scotch, cloth, maskingPaper cutter, sandpaper (00.3)Clay, clay.containers, modeling boards (12" x 1 8 ")Glue and semi-liquid paste, shellacYarn and tapestry needles, string, threadPaintfinger paint, water paint (liquid and powder)Paintbrushes (3 /4" and 11/2" flat; round 11/4" hair, 9" handle)Colored construction paper (9" x 12" and 12" x 18")Colored Poster paper (9' x 12" and 12" x 18")Newsprint (18" x 24") --Manila paper (12" x 18")TagboardPaper bags

Music and listening equipment

AutoharpDrumsMelody bells or barsRhythm instruments sticks, triangles, bells, tone blocks,

cymbals, maracasRecord playerTape recorderListening post with multiple earphonesPiano

S.

Equipment for dramatization and dramatic play

Accessory toys--people, animalsVehicle toystrucks, trains, airplanes (at least 10"-12")Unit blocks or interlocking blocks (set or half set)Dress-up clothes--rack and hangers, trunk or other storage

spacePlayhouse cleaning equipment--broom, dustmop, dustpanSandbox and sandbox toys (outdoor)Hand puppets and puppet stage--platform or stageFamily living equipment-stove, pots and pans, refrigerator,,

sink, table and chairs, dishes, bed, dolls, doll carriageor stroller, doll clothes

Science Equipment

Liquid measures, linear measures, dry measures, thermometers,scales

Pa.is, kettles, pitchersHot plateAnimal cages

Insect cagesAquariumTerrariumAnimal and fish foodMagnetic compassTuning forkMagnifying lensMagnetsSyringeSpongesGardening tools (not toys)Rower boxes and containersWatering cans

Visual material and equipment

Pictures for class experiencesBulletin boardsMovie, slide, and strip film projectors and screens, TV

(available)Films, filmstrips, slidesBook shelvesLibrary table and chairs.Glbbe and mapsMirrors (15" x 45")

General kindergarten equipment

Storage cabinets or space for all types of materials andequipment

Filing cabinetsAdjustable tables chairs (12"-14")First aid cabinetRest mats (20" x 48" washable vinyl covers)Cots arid blankets (if an all-day program)

For more information see Equipment and Supplies publishedby The Association for Childhood Education International,3615 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W. 20016, 1968. pp. 120.$1.30. _

tr

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF BOOKS FOR CHILDREN

D'Aulaire, Ingri and Edgar D'Aulaire. Don't Count YourChicks. New York. Doubleday, 1943.

The old woman (Wes count her chickens before theyare hatched, but you can still have the fun of a day Inthe country with chickens and cats and dogs and allthe other animals.

Beim, Lorraine and Jerold Beim. Two Is a Team. New York.Harcourt, Brace, 1945.

Ted and Paul play together after school, but theycannot agree on the best way to make a coaster, untilthey have a race and a mishap which they work buttogether.

Bright, Robert. Georgia. New York: Doubleday, 1944.Georgie, the ghost, feeling unwanted when the step

he has been creaking is nailed down, decides to !save. home.

Brown, Margaret Wise. The Runaway Bunny. New York:Harper and Row, 1942.

A bunny tries to rue: away from his mother, but shecan always find him.

Buckley, Helen E. Grandfather and I. New York: Lothrop,Lee, & Shepard, 1959.

Grandfather never hurries, and a small boy enjoyswalking, stopping, and looking when they go outtogether. __

Burton, Virginia Lee. Katy and the Big Snow. Boston: Hough-ton Mifflin, 1943.

A crawler tractor pushes a snow plow in the winter, andsaves a city when 3 heavy snowstorm comes.

Burton, Virginia Lee. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel.Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1939.

Mary Anne, the steam shovel, is old fashioned, butshe and her owner prove they can still dig and be ofuse in the town of Popperville.

Carroll, Ruth. What Wiskers Did. New York: Walck, 1965.Has no text but uses pictures to tell story of a little

runaway dog who takes refuge with a rabbit family.

Caudill, Rebecca. A Pocketful of Crick .--t. New York: Holt,Rinehart and Winston, 1964.

Jay, a farm boy, finds a cricket and takes it to classon the first day of school.

61

Davis, Alice Vaught. Timothy Turtle. New York: Harcourt.Brace & World, 1940.

When Timothy falls on his back and cannot turn over,his animal friends come to his rescue.

Dennis, Wesley. Flip. New York: Viking Press, 1941.Flip's great desire was to jump the, brook. One day

he dreamed he had silvery wings and was able to jumphigh and wide. When he woke uo he found he couldjump the brook.

Emberly, Barbara. Drummer Hoff. New York: Prentice Hall,1967.

A Caldecott Winner. Accumulative feature andrhyming words make this appealing.

Ets, Marie Hall. Gilberto and the Wind. New York: VikingPress, 1963.

A very little boy from Mexico finds that the windis his playmate.

Ets, Marie Hall. Nine Days to Christmas. New York: VikingPress, 1959.

Ceci, a little Mexican girl, is excited because now sheis old enough to buy a pinata for her first Christmaspasada, a gay pally given before the great holiday.

Ets, Marie Hall. Play with Me. New York: Viking Press,1955.

A little girl learns that the creatures of the meadowwill come to her if she is gentle.

Fatio, Louise. The Happy Lion. New York. McGraw Hill,19 54.

A beloved lion in a French zoo decides to visit friendsin town. Consternation reigns, until a boy leads him back.Followed by The Happy Lion in Africa (1955) andothers.

Flack, Marjorie. Angus and the Cat. New York: Doubleday,1931.

Flack, Marjorie. Angus and the Ducks. New York: Double-day, 1930.

Flack, Marjorie. Angus Lost. New York. Doubleday, 1932Long time favorites about a little black dog named

Angus.

62

Flack, Marjorie. The Story About Ring. New York VikingPress, 1933.

Ring, the duck, tiles to avoid being spanked, andalmost ends up in the cookpot.

Fleischmann, Peter. New York. Alexander and the Carwith a Miss'ng Headlight. New York: Viking Press, 1967

A junk yard car takes Alexander around the world andback home by sunrise.

Francoise. Springtime for Jeanne Marie. New York: Scrib-ner, 1955.

When Jeanne Marie seeks her lost duck, she findsnot only the duck, but a new friend, Jean Pierre. .

Freeman. Don. Dandelion. New York Viking Press, 1964.Dandelion, the lion, is invited to a party but he primps

so much thatshe is turned away because no onerecognizes hlm.

Funk, Tom. / Read Signs. New York: Holiday House. 1962.While Johnny is on an errand he reads signs end

finds out what the words mean.

'Gay, Wanda. Millions of Cats. New York: Coward McCann,1928.

A very c'd man and a very old woman want one littlecat but find t,iemselves with millions of cats.

Gramatky, Hardie. Little Toot. New York: Putnam, 1939.A frivolous tugboat proves its worth in time of

disaster at sea.

Hader, Berta. The Big Snow. New York. Macmillan, 1948.. Realistically descriptive illustrations giv( feeling tothis quiet telling of a heavy snowstorm and of how anold couple feeds the animals and birds.

Hall, Adelaide. Moon Mouse. New York: Random House,1969.

Delightful story of a baby mouse named Arthur, whosecuriosity about the moon, led him up the long stairwayof a tall building, on top of which he could see themoon. An open doorway led him to some yellow cheese.He was sure he had come to the moon.

Heyward, DuBose. The Country Bunny and the Little GoldShoes. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1939.

Cottontail finds a way to become one of the fivespecially-chosen Easter bunnies.

AL

Hoff, Syd. Danny and the Dinosaur. New York: Harper andRow, 1958.

Danny goes to the museum, makes friends with agigantic dinmaur, and shows him around the town.

Dahlov. Brown Cow Farm. New York. Doubleday,1959.

Provides easy lessons in counting, adding, andmultiplying.

Keats, Ezra Jack. Goggles. New York: Macmillan, :969.Peter finds a pair of motorcycle goggles without

lenses which are coveted by the neighborhood bullies.

Keats, Ezra Jack. The SliiiWyDay. New York: Viking Press,1963.

A small boy's delight in a new snowfall is vividlytold in words and striking childlike pictures. CaldecottMedal Award.

'Keats, Ezra Jack. Whistle for Willie. New York: VikingPress, 1964.

Peter finds that he has a great.deal to learn beforehe can whistle for his dog.

Keats, Ezra Jack. Peter's Chair. New York. Harper and Row,1967.

A baby brother needs a chair.

'Langstaff, John. Frog Went a Courtin'. Harcourt, Brace,& World, 1965.

Useful as both storytelling and singing material. Thefamiliar ballad of Frog, who courts Mistress Mouse.Caldecott Medal Award.

'Langstaff, John. Over in the Meadow. New York: Harcourt,Brace & World, 1957.

An old animal counting rhyme about ti 'adowfamilies.

Langstaff, John. The Swapping Boy. New York: Harcourt,Brace, & World, 1960.

A lively old folksong tells of a foolish boy who keepson trading, becoming poorer each time.

Leaf, Munro. The Story of Ferdinand. New York: VikingPress, 1936.

A young bull in Spain refbses to fight. Instead, hesits and smells'the flowers, until he sits on a bee'

Lexau, John M. Ben /re. New York: Dial Press, 1964.Benjie hated to talk; he lust stayed close to Granny,

but he changes.the day he sets out to find Granny'slost earring.

"McCloskey, Robert. Blueberries for Sale. New York. VikingPress, 1948.

Adventures of a little girl and her mother as they goblueberrying in 'lame and meet a mother bear and herclub.

McCloskey, Robert. Make Way for Ducklings. New York:Viking Press, 1941.

Boston is the setting for this modern classic of amallard family's search for a home. Caldecott MedalAward.

McCloskey, Robert One Morning in Maine. New York. VikingPress, 1952.

Many things happen on the day Sally loses her firsttooth.

"Munan, Bruno. ABC. Clevelano. World, 1960.A modern, zestful alphabet book illustrated with childlike,

brilliantlyoriginal illustrations.

Munan, Bruno. Bruno Munari's Zoo. Cleveland: World, 1963.Big book of zoo animals in bright color.

Petersham, Maud. The Circus Baby. New York: Macmillan,19 50.

A mother elephant tries to teach her baby to eat theway the baby clov.n does with disasterous results.

Piper, Watty, The Little Engine That Could. New York: Platt& Munk, 1961.

Everyone wonders what can be done when the trainthat is carrying good things for children breaks downand cannot go over the mountain. The little blue enginemanages to pull the train over the mountain.

Potter, Beatrix. The Tale of Peter Rabbit. New York: Warne,n.d.

The disobedient rabbit goes into Or. McGregor'sgarden, contrary to his mother's wish.

Rand, Ann. Little .1. New York: Harcourt, Brace, andWorld, 1962.

In this first simple introduction to figures, lonely Little1 sets out to find company, only to be rebuffed by thenumbers from 2 to 9. At last he finds a bright redGoop, and together, they make the number 10. 63

ti

Rey, H. Curious George. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1941.A mischievous monkey who has just come to a city

from the jungle, leads his owner, the man with theyellow hat, a merry chase.

Scott, Ann Herbert. Big Cowboy Western. New York: Loth-rop, Lee & Shephard, 1965.

Even though he wears a cowboy suit, no one willbelieve that five-year old Martin is "Big CowboyWestern" except Mr. Arrico who sells fruits andvegetables.

Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are. New York:Harper & Row, 1963.

Max dreams of a voyage to the island where the wildthings are after he is sent to bed without supper forbehaving like a wild thing. Caldecott Medal Award.

Seuss, Dr. And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.New York: Vanguard Press, 1937.

In this boy's mind, a plain horse and cart grow intoa circus bandwagon drawn by an elephant and twogiraffes.

Seuss,'Dr. The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins. NewYork: Vanguard Press, 1938.

Bartholomew finds it difficult to defend himself fromthe king's ire when he cannot remove his hat.

Shulevitz, Uri. One Monday Morning. New York: Scribner,1967.

Against the background of a New York tenement area,a little boy spends a rainy morning daydreaming of amake-believe world where the king, the queen, the littleprince, dressed in full regalia, just dropped in to say."Hello."

Slobodkin, Esphyr. Caps for Sale. New York: W.R. Scott,1947.

A tale of a peddler, some monkeys, and their monkeybusiness.

Swift, Hildegarde H. The Little Red Lighthouse and theGreat Gray Bridge. New York. Harcourt, Brace & World,1942.

me little lighthouse fears that it will no longer beneeded with the-building of-the bridge and its powerfulbeacon, but it finds both are important.

64

Tresselt, Alvin. White Snow, Bright Snow. New York.Lothrop, Lee & Shephard, 1947.

Presents the real atmosphere of a first snowfall throughpoetic text and full-page illustrations.

Tudor, Tasha. 1 is One. New York: Walck, 1956.Introduces the numbers from one to twenty in verse.

Charmingly quaint and delicate illustrations.

Udry, Janice May. A Tree is Nice. New York: Harper andRow, 1956.

A child's book aoout the wonder of trees, why theyare so important, and the many kinds of fun they affordchildren.

Ward, Lynn. The Biggest Bear. Boston: Houghton Mifflin,1952.

Johnny wants a bearskin for his barn, but insteadgets a live bear. Caldecott Medal Award.

Wildsmith, Brian. ABC. New York: Watts, 1962.Each letter of the alphabet is represented by one

subject, mostly animals, illustrated in stunning radiantcolors.

Will and Nicholas. Finders Keepers. New York: HarcourtBrace and World, 1951.

Two dogs quarrel over owriership of a bone. CaldecottMedal Award.

Yashima, Mitsu. Momos Kitten. New York: Viking Press,1965.

A little kitten, found by a tiny Japanese-Americangirl, grows up and becomes a mother of five kittens.

Yashima, Taro. Crow Boy. New York: Viking Press, 19 55.A Japanese story in which a very shy boy, under

the influence of an understanding teacher, surpriseseveryone with his talent.

Zion, Gene. Harry, the Dirty Dog. New York: HP-per andRow, 1956.

A white dog with black spots hates baths and runsaway. !-Ie returns so very dirty that even the familydoes not reccjnize him.

Zion, Gene. No Roses for Harry. New York: Harper and Row,1958.

A dog tries to lose a much disliked wool .weater,a birthday present from grandma.

,

Zion, Gene. The Plant Sitter. New York: Harper and Row,1959.

Tommy haS the job of tat: 9 care of the neighbors'plants and almost turns his own house into a jungle.

Zolotow, Cnatio.te. If It Werer't for You. New York: Harperand Rcw, 1963.

An older brother is limited in what he can d: andloses ivileges as an only child because of his youngerbrother.

'Weston Woods Studio, Weston, Connecticut, 06880, hasmade these books into delightful films, filmstrips, andrecordings which enhance children's pleasure in thebooks. Catalogs may be obtained from the Studio.

Especially for children whose experience with books islimited.

SOURCES FOR READING OR STORYTELLING

Aldis, Dorothy. All Together, A Treasury of Verse. l'ogwYork: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1952.

Arbuthnot, May Hill. Time for Poetry. Glenview, Illinois:Scott, Foresman and Co. 1961.

Association for Childhood Education International. SungUnder the Silver Umbrella. New York: Macmillan Company.

Told Under the Blue Umbrella. New York:Macmillan Company, 1962.

Barrows, Marjorie. Read-Aloud Poems Every Young ChildShould Know. New York: Rand McNally, 1957.

De Angell, Marguerite. Book of Nursery and Mother GooscRhymes New York: Doubleday, 1954.

Frank, Josette. Poems to Read to the Very Young. NewYork. Random House, 961.

Gruenberg, Sidonie Matsner. Favorite Stories, Old andNew. New York: Doubleday, 1942.

Lenski, Lois. Read -to -Me Storybook. New York: ThomasY. Crowell, 1947.

Love, Katherine. A Pocketful of Rhymes. New York: ThomasY. Crowell, 1946.

McFarland, Wilma. For a Child, Great Poems Old and New.Philadelphia Westminigter Press, 1347.

RECORDINGS FOR CHILDREN

Grandfather's FarmA family on its way to the farm sings"0 er the River" and animal songs. Some of the songsare: "The Donkey;" "Miste, Rabbit:" The Pig;" and"Old Brown Cow." CRG 5004.

Daddy Comes Home The songs tell a story of the fun thefamily has when father comes home from work. CRG1018

Train to the RanchA story in song of children who go tothe ranch and learn of what one would do on a ranch.CRG 1038A

Train to the ZooA story in song about children visitingthe zoo. There are songs about the monkey, bear, seal,elephant, and the zoo train. CRG 1001

The Milk's Journey - -Told in songs: "Five Cows;" TheMilk Truck;" "The Milk Train;" "The Milk Factory;""The Milk Wagon;" and "Milk for Bobby's Cup." Goodto use in relation to study of milk and trip to dairy.CRG 5029

Little Red Wagonby Beatrice Landeck. "Wheel-aTurning;" "Little Red Wagon;" "Get on Board:" "NowLet Me Fly;" and "Song in My Heart." CRG 10048

Creepy Crawly CaterpillarCreepy, a caterpillar, crawls toplay with a little girl who tells him to go away. Wintercomes, and he lives in his cocoon. In the spring, he findshimself a beautiful butterfly. True story suggestsdramatization. Delightful to use in relation to observinga cocoon and the emerging of a butterfly. MargaretFriskey's "Johnny and the Monarch" also relates tothis kind of experience. CRG 5019

Eensie Beensie Spider--The song by this title is on therecord. CRG 1002A

Noah's Ark - -The story in song about a puppy who waitsuntil last and is almost forgotten. CRG 10358

The Merry Toy Shop - -The story about toys who come tolife in a toy store. CRG 10228

Train to the.farm A story, put to song, about what onewould see if he went to a farm. There are songs aboutplanting, chickens, the tractor, and the pond. CRG 1011

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I Am a Circus A circus clown pretends he is the circus.The songs he sings, and the story he tells suggestsmovement for the children. CRG 1028

The Little Puppet Children can pretend they are puppetsand do what the narrator tells them to do. CRG 1016

Nothing to DoAn activity record that has the childrenmarching, jumping, tiptoeing, skating, clapping, andspinning. CRG 1012

My playful Scarf--A story of how the playful scarf changesfrom waves to the scarf of a cowboy and the sashof a pirate. Delightful activity record. CRG 1019

A Walk in the ForestStory about a child's walk in theforest and all the imaginary animals he meets. Wonderfulfor rest time after the book by the same title has beenread to the youngsters. Good story for dramatization.YPR 8056

Hooray., Today Is Your BirthdayTold as though the childrenwere attending a birthday party. YPR 1.2228

Muffin in the CountryThe "Noisy Book" series. A favoritestory about the little dog, Muffin, his trip to the country,and all the sounds he hears. YPR 603

Muffin in the City- -The second record in the "Noisy Book"series. This time Muffin is in the city. He has to weara bandage over his eyes. He cannot see, but he can hearroom noises and street noises, little noises and bignoises and then he hears a tiny squeak, squeak.YPR 601

Every Day We Grow 1.0Told and sung by Tom Glazer.There are two records to this story about a boy namedAlexander Everett William Ill, who is lost in the woodsand tries to learn the words to the song Every Day WeGrow 1-0. Each animal he meets tells him more of theceng - a counting song from 1-6. YPR 8001

The Story of Slow Joe--The story of Joe who walks slowlyas he carries soup from his grandmother's to his home.He stops to look at an ant, a caterpillar, and a worm.He talks to a milkman, a mailman, and a policeman.When his mother gives him money for peppermint icecream, he runs as fast as he can to the store. YPR 9003

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The Little Gray PoniesTold and sung by lom Gazer Thelittle gray ponies team by seeing, hearing, and smelling.YPR 7358

Little Indian Drum Story about Red Fox. a little Indian boy,who receives a drum from his father, Tall Hunter, whoshowed him how to make the drum talk. YPR 619

Three Little TrainsStory about three trains Chugger,Ringer, and Tooter. Each have a special talent but find -

they need to help each other learn all three talents inorder to be chosen for a special job. Children enjoy thehumor as the trains teach each other. YPR 8098

The Sleepy FamilyWhen father comes home and awakensthe Laby by sneezing, mother forgets the lullaby shesings to put the baby to sleep. She goes to the neighbor,the shepherd, and the bellringer in search of tilt song.Finally, the wind tells her, and when she gets home,father has sung the child to sleep. At the end, the entirefamily is put to sleep by father's song. (A good rest timestory) YPR 611

Jingle Bells and Winter Fun, A good activity record forwinter-time and the first deep snow. YPR 7188

Rainy Day, ev Tom Glazer. Excellent activity record for arainy day. YPR 712

My Playmate the Wind, By Norman Rose. Delightful musicalstory to act out on a windy day or in relation to thestudy of wind. YPR 45018

Out-of-Doors, By Tom Glazer. An activity record with musicfor hopping, marching, swaying, listening, playing"Sally-Go Round-theSum" and dancing. YPR 7248

Stories for Rainy Days, By Frank Luther. Delightful recordingof these familiar stories: "Jack and the Beanstalk;""The Raggletaggletown Singers;" "The Ugly Duckling:""Chicken Licken;" and "Sleeping Beauty." Excellentfor rest time. Decca Records VL 3624

Happy Stories for Gloomy Days, By Frank Luther. Excellentrecording of: "The Shoemaker and the Elves;" "TheGingerbread soy:" "The Three Billy Goats Gruff:" "TheLittle Red Hen;" "Goldilocks and the Three Bears."Excellent for rest time. Decca Records VL 3659

1p

Children's SingALong. By Frank Luther. I onte songschildren should know are sung and repeated, invitingthe children to sing along. Decca Records VL 3680

Captain Kangaroo's TV Party, Songs such as "Two LittleMagic Words;" S' 'les such as; "Six Little Taxis,"and games "Riddle .a-Diddle;" and "Captain Says."Columbia:HL 9508

More Songs to Grow On, Songs to listen to and sing along..0 with. Book by Beatrice Landeck. Folkway Records

FC %7009A

Songs to Grow On. Folksongs that are fun to listen to andto sing. Book by Beatrice Landeck. Folkway RecordsFC 7020A

Music Time with Charity Bailey, A child's participating recordwith hand clapping and singing activities. Some of thesongs are "Missie Mouse;" and "Toodala FolkwayRecords FC 7307

Let's Learn To Sing Records_ Volume 1, II, and III. Let'sLearn Productions, Box 2207, Station A, CI ampaign,Illinois 61820

Bowman Records-Listening Time S'ories Album #2 - Storiesinclude "Ready Rooster;" "Raggedy Ann;" "My OwnStar;" "The Little Yellow Duck," "Zabnno the Zebra,""The Seashell;" and "The Lost Shadow." There aretwo more Listening Time Stories Albums #1 and #3.Formes IY, these were told by Frank Luther. LT 1002A

Dance A Story About Magic Mountain LE 103 RCA

Dance A Story About Balloons LE 104 RCA

'Dance A Story About Litre Dt.,A LE 101 RCADelightful stories for the children to act out in dance.Books with pictures of children dancing the story asit is told.

Children's Record Guild (CRG)27 Thompson StreetNew York

Young People's Records (YPR)100 Sixth AvenueNew York

Folkway Records117 West 46th StreetNew York

Bowman Education:. :accords10515 Burbank BoulevardNorth Hollywood, California

RCA Victor205 West Wacker DriveChicago, Illinois 60606

MUSIC BOOKS

Boardman E. and Landis, B. Exploring Music, Kindergarten,New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1969_

Gallup, Beckman. The Magic of Music, Chicago: Ginn andCompany, 1965.

Grentzer, R M. Birchard Music Series, Kindergarten, Chicago:Summy Birchard, 1962.

Jaye, Mary Tinnin and Imogene Hilyard. Making Music YourOwn, Kindergarten, Park Ridge., Illinots: Silver Burdett1.966.

McCall, Adeline. This is Music, Rcckleigh, New Jersey:Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1965.

Smith and Leonard. Discovering Music Together - EarlyChildhood, Chicago: Folett Education& Corp., 1968.

Wilson, Harry. Music for Young Americans, Sharing Music,New York: American B )31( Co. 1966.

0

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APPENDIX E

KINDERGARTEN LEGISLATION

The School Code of Illinois

I. SECTION 10-20.20Mandates all boards of education operating elementiryschools to establish and maintain kindergartens afterJuly 1, 1970, for the instruction of children inaccordance with rules and regulations prescribed by theOffice of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.A. Parents are not compelled to send their children

to kindergarten because the compulsory attendancelaw does not refer to children of kindergarten age.

B. Kindergarten must be recognized by theadministration and board of education as an integralpart of the educational program and subject to allstatutory and regulatory standards as prescribed byThe School Code of Illinois and the Office of theSuperintendent of Public Instruction.

C. A kindergarten teacher must hold a valid Stateof Illinois elementary teaching certificate.

II. SECTION 18.8Provides for two organizational types of kindergartenA. A session of two or more clock hours may be

counted one-half day of attendance by kindergartenpupils.

B. Sessions may be arranges sc as to count two andone-half days of attendance ii any five consecutivedays. This will permit a district to have kindergartenthree full days one week and two full days thenext. A kindergarten pupil who attends school afull day will not attend tht folk Ning day unlessthe school district obtain!. perm.ssion in writingfrom the Office of the Superintendent of PublicInstruction.

III. SECTION 27.8I ndergarten pupils must conform with the physicalexamination and immunization provisien of this section.

IV. SECTION 29.5Provides reimbursement by State for tre )sportation ofresident pupils in kindergarten according to the guidelinesof the reimbursement claim forms.

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V. ARTICLE 14Provides for all handicapped children ages 5-21 toreceive a fair opportunity for an education in our publicschools.A Section 14-1.02 -- Physically handicapped children.B. Section 14-1.03 - Maladjusted children.C. Section 14-1 04 - Educable mentally handicapped

children.Trainable mentally handicappedchildrenSpeech defective children.Multiply-handicapped children.

D. Section 14-1.05 -

E. Section 14-1.06F Section 14-1.07 -

Documents

DOCUMENT RESUME - ERIC · DOCUMENT RESUME. PS 006 758. Morris, Earl W., Ed. Early Childhood Education in Illinois: Focus on Kindergarten. Illinois State Office of the Superintendent