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The work of Lev Vygotsky is increasingly cited as we reconsider the theory and practice of constructivist education. This program introduces the life, vocabulary and concepts of Lev Vygotsky. The video illustrates four basic concepts integral to his work: Children construct knowledge, learning can lead development, development cannot be separated from its social context, and language plays a central role in cognitive development. Elena Bodrova brings an easy familiarity to these concepts. Deborah Leongs commentary and the lively classroom examples enable students, teachers in training, and classroom teachers to incorporate these concepts into their understanding of child development. with deborah Leong, Ph.D. and Elena Bodrova, Ph.D. This is a short clip form the film. Further information is available at www.davidsonfilms.com.

HighScope Educational Research Foundation is an independent nonprofit research, development, training, and public outreach organization with headquarters in Ypsilanti, Michigan. HighScope's mission is to lift lives through HighScope Headquarters - Hutchinson House January 2008education. We envision a world in which all educational settings use active participatory learning so everyone has a chance to succeed in life and contribute to society. HighScope activities include - Training preschool and elementary teachers and administrators Conducting research projects on the effectiveness of educational programs Developing curricula for infant/toddler, preschool, elementary, youth development, and movement and music programs Developing early literacy curricula and assessment materials and conducting related research Presenting an annual International HighScope Conference for teachers and teacher-trainers Publishing books, videos, curriculum materials, and assessment tools for educators and researchers Operating a Demonstration Preschool in Ypsilanti, Michigan, that serves children in the local community and provides a model of "HighScope in action" for visiting educators Operating the HighScope Retreat and Meeting Center in Clinton, Michigan

Due to the expanding volume of information on the Web, parents and professionals often have difficulty locating the information they want. Even when they find information that seems relevant, they have difficulty determining if it is credible. The Child & Family WebGuide describes trustworthy websites on topics of interest to parents and professionals. All the sites listed on the WebGuide have been systematically evaluated by graduate students and faculty in child development. These sites have been selected from thousands that are available on the Web, based primarily on the quality of the information they provide. The goal of the WebGuide is to give the public easy access to the best child development information on the Web. There are five main categories of information: family/parenting, education/learning, typical child development, health/mental health, and resources/recreation. The first four categories contain sites with research-based information. The fifth category, resources/recreation, contains sites with information about specific programs and things to do. The resources/recreation sites, which were added at the request of parents, do not contain research-based information. The WebGuide also offers an option of searching for sites that are especially relevant to a particular age group (topics by age) and it offers several features requested by parents (e.g., ask an expert sites; research news sites).

We welcome you to ZERO TO THREE's website. ZERO TO THREE is a national nonprofit organization that informs, trains and supports professionals, policymakers and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers. Neuroscientists have documented that our earliest days, weeks and months of life are a period of unparalleled growth when trillions of brain cell connections are made. Research and clinical experience also demonstrate that health and development are directly influenced by the quality of care and experiences a child has with his parents and other adults. That is why at ZERO TO THREE our mission is to promote the health and development of infants and toddlers. We know that as babies, the way we are held, talked to and cared for teaches us about who we are and how we are valued. This profoundly shapes who we will become. Early experiences set a course for a lifelong process of discovery about ourselves and the world around us. Simply put, early experiences matter. We encourage you to learn more about very young children, early development and the work of ZERO TO THREE by exploring our site.

This site contains reliable and accurate information on child development, including many good links to information for educators and for parents.

This site contains information about Urie Bronfenbrenner and the ecology of human development.

The schools of Reggio Emilia embody principles of The Reggio Emilia philosophy and approach to early childhood education has developed and continues to evolve as a result of over 40 years of experience within a system of municipal infant-toddler centers and preschools in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Parents, who started the schools in the 1940s, continue to participate to ensure the schools reflect the values of the community. From the beginning, the late Loris Malaguzzi, leader, philosopher and innovator in education, who was then a young teacher, guided and directed the energies of those parents and several teachers. Through many years of work with them, he developed an education based on relationship, which has become widely known and valued. The Reggio Emilia approach is built upon a solid foundation of connected philosophical principles and extensive experience. Educators in Reggio Emilia have been inspired by many early childhood psychologists and philosophers, such as Dewey, Piaget, Vygotsky, Gardner and Bruner.

Welcome to the National Black Child Development Institute online. For the past 40 years, the National Black Child Development Institute has been steadfast in its mission to improve and advance the lives of Black children and their families, through advocacy and education. Along with our affiliate network - composed of volunteers from across the nation - we have worked to improve child welfare services, make universal early care and education a reality, build family support services, press for educational reform and provide vital information regarding our children's health. As we are now well into the new millennium, it is critical that we continue to dedicate ourselves to giving every child a chance. We believe that such a vision should recognize the pivotal role that all members of our community must play if equity and access are to become a reality for our children. This includes parents, the faith community, social and civic clubs, barber shops, and schools - all of us must become part of the mobilization on behalf of our children.

This chart provides information on how children develop creative-thinking skills from birth to age 6.

Spaces for Children creates developmentally appropriate spaces that enhance a child's growth and that are convenient and a pleasure for teachers to use. Aesthetically pleasing, long lasting designs promote child development and attract and maintain high-caliber staff. Teachers who feel comfortable and effective in their classrooms provide the continuity essential to a child's sense of well being. The firm's hands-on approach includes time spent with teachers and administrators, observation of existing facilities if applicable, and, at the completion of construction, staff training and follow-up. The principals' expertise ranges from programming to building design, from classroom layout to furniture and outdoor play yard design, from the specifics of appropriate materials, fastenings, and finishes that assure optimum play value, child safety, and durability to the selection of low-toxic materials and optimization of indoor air quality. It is this knowledge, developed through working together as a team on a large number of projects, that sets Spaces for Children apart from other architecture firms designing childcare facilities.

"We call on educators, policymakers, business leaders, families, and community members to work together on a whole child approach to education. What will prepare each young person to work in careers that have not yet been invented; to think both critically and creatively; and to evaluate massive amounts of information, solve complex problems, and communicate well? Research, practice, and common sense confirm that a whole child approach to education will develop and prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of today and tomorrow. Every school, community, classroom, educator, student, and family has unique challenges and strengths, and has a role to play in ensuring that each student is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. Collectively we have the knowledge, skill, and ability to meet these challenges and share these strengths. Join us and our whole child partners as we change the conversation about education and move from a vision for educating the whole child to action that results in successful, well-rounded young people. Explore resources and opportunities for action here and on ASCD.org, and together we'll change the face of education policy and practice. Taken together across all five tenets and the central necessities of collaboration, coordination, and integration, our indicators related to each whole child tenet may serve as a needs assessment, set of strategic goals and outcomes, framework for decision making, or the definition of what a whole child approach to education truly requires."

The Whole Child site extends the information presented in the 13-part child development video series and telecourse of the same name. The telecourse was based on the popular textbook, The Whole Child, by Joanne Hendrick, Ph.D., published by Merrill/Prentice Hall. The series was produced by Detroit Public Television in association with the Merrill-Palmer Institute of Wayne State University and funded by the Annenberg/CPB Projects.

This document contains information on positive discipline and child guidance, which is designed to be shared with parents. Topics include proactive strategies, possible reasons children misbehave, positive discipline techniques, responding to misbehavior, parenting styles, child development, nurturing, and additional resources for parents.

"The work of Jean Piaget has become the foundation of current developmental psychology and the basis for changes in educational practice. David Elkind, author of The Hurried Child and Miseducation, and a student of Jean Piaget, explores the roots of Piagets work and outlines important vocabulary and concepts that structure much of the study of child development. Using both archival film of Dr. Piaget and newly shot sequences of Dr. Elkind conducting interviews with children of varying ages, this film presents an overview of Piagets developmental theory, its scope and content. The film can serve either as an introduction to Piagets work or as a review of it. With David Elkind, Ph.D. This is a short clip from the film. Further information is available at www.davidsonfilms.com."

What makes a proficient teacher? What measures can be used to guide new teachers as they work to become proficient educators in the teaching profession? The Minnesota Standards of Effective Practice for Teachers are based on the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) teaching standards. The INTASC is a consortium of state education agencies and national educational organizations dedicated to the reform of the preparation, licensing, and on-going professional development of teachers. In Minnesota the INTASC standards were used as a resource to develop the Minnesota Standards for Effective Practice for Teachers.

The Embrace the Future Resiliency Resource Centre is a website for teachers, parents and other people who work with or care for children. It provides information about resiliency and how to foster it in children. Although much of the information provided here will be relevant to adolescents as well, the focus of this site is on primary-school age children. Here you can find: An overview of current research in the area of resiliency. Information about what makes a child resilient. Detailed ideas for teachers about how to develop programs that help to create resilient children. Tips for parents and carers about how to interact with children in ways that promote resiliency. Information for schools about how to implement resiliency-promoting policies and practices. Links to other resiliency-related websites. Further reading.

This organization was started by Thomas Gordon, who developed Parent Effectiveness Training (P.E.T.) and Teacher Effectiveness Training (T.E.T.). Click on "Free Resources" to access FREE school and parent resources.

Children Now's mission is to find common ground among influential opinion leaders, interest groups and policymakers, who together can develop and drive socially innovative, "win-win" approaches to helping all children achieve their full potential.

Educators for Social Responsibility (ESR) works directly with educators to implement systemic practices that create safe, caring, and equitable schools so that all young people succeed in school and life, and help shape a safe, democratic and just world. Founded in 1982, ESR is a national leader in school reform and provides professional development, consultation, and educational resources to adults who teach young people in preschool through high school.

Established in 2001, the Oregon Resiliency Project (ORP) is a research, training, and outreach effort aimed at social and emotional learning, mental health promotion, and social-emotional assessment and intervention practices in schools. ORP is directed by Dr. Ken Merrell, professor of school psychology at the University of Oregon. The ORP team includes Dr. Merrell, graduate students from the University of Oregon's College of Education, and our partners in public schools and mental health agencies. Since the inception of ORP in 2001, more than 35 graduate students have participated on the ORP team, and are now "alums" of the project. Alumni of ORP are in positions of influence nationally: in school systems, universities, state departments of education, children's hospitals, community mental health centers, and research institutes, where they are continuing their work related to the aims of the project. ORP currently has two primary efforts. We are are continuing to research and refine our innovative Strong Kids social-emotional learning curricula, which include the Strong Start, Strong Kids, and Strong Teens programs. These evidence-based programs are designed to teach essential life skills that will result in greater emotional and social resiliency and coping, and better mental health. We are also currently working on research and development efforts related to an innovative new strength-based social-emotional assessment system, the Social-Emotional Assets and Resiliency Scales (SEARS). Click on the "Current Projects" link to learn more. Use the links on the left side of this web page to learn more about ORP. We welcome your interest in the Oregon Resiliency Project!