Curriculum and Assessment

Bibliography

Print version of the Curriculum and Assessment Bibliography

Books and Reports

Albrecht, Kay, and Linda G. Miller. Innovations: The Comprehensive Toddler Curriculum. Gryphon House, 2000.

A new addition to the series that provides a comprehensive, interactive curriculum for infants and toddlers, including coverage of the routine incorporation of assessment to discern individual developmental needs.

Association for Childhood Education International. Early Childhood Education and Care in the 21st Century: Global Guidelines and Papers from an International Symposium Hosted by the World Organization for Early Childhood Education (Organisation Mondiale pour ‘Education Prescolaire) and the Association for Childhood Education International (Ruschlikon, Switzerland, July 5-8, 1999). Association for Childhood Education International, 1999.

Attending the International Symposium on Early Childhood Education and Care for the 21st Century in Switzerland in 1999 were 83 early childhood education professionals from 28 nations to develop international guidelines for the education and care of young children. This document contains shortened versions of the guidelines developed by the working groups at the symposium and three papers presented at the symposium. Guidelines were developed and statements were made in the areas of: (1) overall philosophy, goals, and policies; (2) environment and physical space; (3) curriculum content and pedagogy; (4) early childhood educators’ and caregivers’ qualifications and characteristics; (5) partnership with families and communities; (6) young children with special needs; and (7) accountability, supervision, and management.

Bagnato, Stephen J., John T. Neisworth, and Susan M. Munson. LINKing Assessment and Early Intervention: An Authentic Curriculum-Based Approach. Brookes, 1997.

Explains the LINKing process to identify the six critical markers for judging quality: authenticity, collaboration, convergence, equity, sensitivity, and congruence.

Bergen, Doris, Rebecca Reid, and Louis Torelli. Educating and Caring for Very Young Children: The Infant/Toddler Curriculum. National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2001.

Expanding on the idea of curriculum as a dynamic, responsive experience rather than a rigid earning structure, the authors stress the need for education along with nurturing for very young children. They focus on play as the basis for curriculum and show how infant/toddler educators can combine theory and practice, taking into account both the physical and social environments. Through case descriptions of actual children, this work discusses how to accommodate children with different developmental levels, backgrounds, personalities, and special needs. Finally, the authors examine infant/toddler curriculum in the context of family, community, and society, and explore ways to enhance curriculum quality.

Bredekamp, Sue, and Carol Copple, eds. Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs. Rev. ed. National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1997.

Articulates the principles underlying developmentally appropriate practice and guidelines for classroom decision-making. Offers an overview of each period of early childhood development and extensive examples of practices appropriate and inappropriate with children in each age group.

Bredekamp, Sue, and Teresa Rosegrant, eds. Reaching Potentials. Vol. 1 and 2. National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1992-1995.

Volume 1 (1992) is sub-titled Appropriate Curriculum and Assessment for Young Children, and is designed to assist early childhood professionals in applying the guidelines for appropriate curriculum content and assessment developed by NAEYC and NAECS/SDE. Volume 1 addresses reaching developmental potentials for all children—including those with varying language and cultural backgrounds and children with disabilities—and reaching the potentials of teachers and administrators.

Volume 2 (1995) is sub-titled Transforming Early Childhood Curriculum and Assessment and addresses recently developed national standards in the curricular areas of math, science, health, visual arts, music, social studies, physical education, and language/literacy. Renowned experts examine what early childhood educators need to know to develop meaningful, developmentally appropriate curriculum that incorporates the "big ideas" and content of each subject.

Culkin, Mary L., ed. Managing Quality in Young Children’s Programs: The Leader’s Role. Teachers College Press, 1999.

Vis-à-vis contributions from major thinkers and leaders in the field of early childhood education (e.g., Sue Bredekamp and Roger Neugebauer, inter alia), this book emphasizes the interdisciplinary knowledge and management ability required for success in program administration, and explores present and future roles of administrators in early childhood programs. Coverage includes anticipated growth and change in the industry, management training, the credentialing process, and the continuing prime importance of sound child development knowledge for administrators.

De Avila, Edward. Setting Expected Gains for Non and Limited English Proficient Students. National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education, 1997.

Covers appropriate expectations for language proficiency gains, as well as approaches to measuring both the expected and actual gains.

Dodge, Diane Trister, Laura J. Colker, and Cate Heroman. Connecting Content, Teaching, and Learning: A Supplement to The Creative Curriculum® for Early Childhood, 3rd Edition. Teaching Strategies, 2000.

This supplement to the 3rd edition of The Creative Curriculum is the first major update since. It includes: newly revised and clearly defined curriculum goals and objectives; overviews of the key components of national and state standards in literacy, math, science, social studies, the arts, and technology as they apply to preschool; and, concrete linkages of goals and objectives to the content areas, with examples of the teacher’s role in promoting learning.

Dodge, Diane Trister, Sharon E. Yandian, and Donna Bloomer. A Trainer’s Guide to the Creative Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers. Gryphon House, 1998.

Targeted to program directors, staff, and instructors who are using "The Creative Curriculum for Infants & Toddlers," this guide covers professional development of teachers and staff, including individualizing staff development. Presents a series of workshops that covers all of the chapters of "The Creative Curriculum," including reproducible handouts.

Dodge, Diane Trister, and Laura J. Colker. The Creative Curriculum for Early Childhood. 3rd ed. Teaching Strategies, 1992.

A comprehensive guide to help practitioners to create holistic, effective learning environments in preschool and kindergarten settings. Covers developmentally appropriate curriculum and assessment practices, and includes "The Child Development and Learning Checklist."

Epstein, A. S., L. J. Schweinhart, and L. McAdoo. Models of Early Childhood Education. High/Scope Press, 1996.

Inspired by the High/Scope educational approach, this book attempts to systematically and objectively compare different curriculum-based approaches to training early childhood teachers, and to assess how these models could individually and collectively address the problem of improving early childhood program quality nationwide. An analytical and an empirical study were carried out to compare approaches, including the Montessori Method, the Bank Street Developmental-Interaction approach, the High/Scope Curriculum, the Kamii-DeVries constructivist perspective, Teaching Strategies’ Creative Curriculum, and the Direct Instruction model.

Goffin, Stacie G., and Catherine S. Wilson. Curriculum Models in Early Childhood Education: Appraising the Relationship. 2nd ed. Merrill/Prentice Hall, 2001.

This text uses a sociohistorical perspective to examine the major curriculum models, including Montessori, Developmental-Interaction, Direct Instruction, Kamii-DeVries, and High Scope. Its comprehensive coverage looks at each model in terms of purpose and function, impact on early childhood education, theoretical underpinnings, and current evaluations. This text is intended to provoke intellectual engagement and reflective practice.

Hart, Craig H., Diane C. Burts, and Rosalind Charlesworth, eds. Integrated Curriculum and Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Birth to Age Eight. State University of New York Press, 1997.

After two chapters of introduction to "Developmentally Appropriate Integrated Early Childhood Curriculum," this volume of the SUNY series "Early Childhood Education: Inquiries and Insights" offers 14 more chapters that cover individual content areas, including math, physical education, visual arts, social studies, guidance, assessment, home/family partnerships, and communication with parents and teachers.

Hohmann, Mary, and David P. Weikart. Educating Young Children: Active Learning Practices for Preschool and Child Care Programs. High/Scope Press, 1995.

Draws upon three decades of the High/Scope curriculum approach in preschool education to present one of the exemplary methods for engaging young children in active learning. Covers key components of the adult’s role, family involvement, daily team planning, creating interest areas, materials selection, the plan-do-review process, and small- and large-group time.

Johnson, Lawrence J., LaMontagne, M.J., Elgas, Peggy M., and Bauer, Anne M. Early Childhood Education: Blending Theory, Blending Practice. Brookes, 1998.

Presents a cooperative approach to blending early childhood regular and special education practice and training. Covers curriculum development, formal and informal assessment, and intervention.

Kagan, Sharon L., and Barbara T. Bowman, ed. Leadership in Early Care and Education. National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1997.

Presents 18 articles by such early childhood education luminaries as Lillian Katz, Susan Bredekamp, et al., that help to define leadership for the profession and to promote alternative approaches to leadership development.

Meisels, Samuel J., and Emily Fenichel, eds. New Visions for the Developmental Assessment of Infants and Young Children. Zero to Three National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families, 1996.

A collection of 18 papers that cover the assessment of infants and toddlers and that represent the perspectives of parents, clinicians, researchers, and policy-makers.

Meisels, Samuel J., and Sally Atkins-Burnett. Developmental Screening in Early Childhood: A Guide. National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1994.

This book provides guidance in how to organize and conduct an exemplary early childhood screening program. Includes advice on selecting an appropriate screening instrument, sample forms, and NAEYC’s position statement on standardized testing.

Perry, Gail, and Mary Duru, eds. Resources for Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Recommendations from the Profession. National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1999.

This book provides an annotated bibliography of more than 1200 state-of- the-art resources based on the recommendations of early childhood professionals. The book is organized into three parts. Part 1 includes resources that define the concept of developmentally appropriate practice, beginning with its historical roots, key concepts and issues, and research. Part 2 provides resources related to children and their families, including resources on cultural differences, practices that value diversity, partnerships with families, and the developmental and theoretical bases of early childhood practice. Part 3 includes resources to support appropriate practices by teachers and caregivers in varied settings, addressing practice components with children in preschool and primary grades, infants and toddlers, family child care, and school-age children. Also listed in Part 3 are materials in Spanish and other languages, video recordings, and Web sites.

Post, J. and M. Hohmann. Tender Care and Early Learning: Supporting Infants and Toddlers in Child Care Settings. High/Scope Press, 2000.

A manual describing High/Scope’s active learning approach with babies and children under preschool age. Includes coverage of the elements of active learning, key experiences for sensory-motor learning, the organization of space and materials, daily schedules, and child observation.

Rice, Mabel L., and Kim A. Wilcox. Building a Language-Focused Curriculum for the Preschool Classroom. Brookes, 1995.

Guides teachers to enhance the language skills of all young learners, including preschoolers with typical language development, language disabilities, and or limited English proficiency. The sub-title of Vol. I is "A Foundation for Lifelong Communication"; the sub-title of Vol. II is "A Planning Guide."

Yolland, Nicola, ed. Promoting Meaningful Learning: Innovations in Educating Early Childhood Professionals. National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2000.

Teacher educators from Australia and the United States describe their innovations in educating early childhood professionals in the university and other contexts. This collection of ideas and innovations depicts students involved in a wide range of meaningful experiences. Emphasizes the importance of such collegial experiences as participating in early childhood settings and the larger community, actively discussing issues, and collaborating with others.

Bibliobriefs

Dodge, Diane Trister. "Promoting Reading and Writing in Head Start." Children and Families 16, no. 4 (1997): 26-31.

Presents strategies for Head Start staff to promote literacy skills in children from birth forward. Includes a list of free or inexpensive literacy resources.

Henderson, Laura W.; and Samuel J. Meisels. "Parental Involvement in the Developmental Screening of Their Young Children: A Multiple-Source Perspective." Journal of Early Intervention 18, no. 2 (1994): 141-54.

Promotes a multi-assessment approach to developmental screening of young children to determine at-risk status for school failure. The approach promoted includes parental feedback in combination with an established developmental screening inventory.

Katz, Lilian G., and Dianne Rothenberg, eds. "Special Section on the Project Approach." Early Childhood Research & Practice 2, no. 1 (2000).

The five articles in this special topical section address a wide variety of issues related to implementing the Project Approach in diverse settings with children as young as toddlers and as old as second-graders. Several articles cover the long history of the inclusion of project work in the curriculum and some of the perennial concerns that continue to be raised during its implementation.

Meisels, Samuel J. "Dimensions of Early Identification." Journal of Early Intervention 15, no. 1 (1991): 26-35.

Describes the relationship between early identification and prevention, and promotes the employment of a multiple risk model for the development of screening and assessment guidelines.

Schweinhart, Lawrence J., and David P. Weikart. "Why Curriculum Matters in Early Childhood Education." Educational Leadership 55, no. 6 (1998): 57-60.

Considers long-term outcomes of three preschool curriculum models based upon adult experiences of 68 disadvantaged enrollees. Outcomes support child-initiated learning activities.

Schweinhart, Lawrence J. "Observing Young Children in Action: The Key to Early Childhood Assessment." Young Children 48, no. 5 (1993): 29-33.

Provides commentary on the relative appropriateness/inappropriateness of performance-based assessment and standardized testing of young children. Advocates for observations documented as anecdotes to complement well-established developmental scales.

Wolery, Mark, and Sue Bredekamp. "Developmentally Appropriate Practices and Young Children with Disabilities: Contextual Issues in the Discussion." Journal of Early Intervention 18, no. 4 (1994): 331-341.

Articulates issues in the application of developmentally appropriate practice to special needs children, and presents an evaluation framework for consideration thereof.

Videos

Charting Growth: Assessment. National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1996.

Demonstrates strategies for assessing children’s development and learning, the profile of progress, the parent/teacher/child conference, and the early childhood assessment team.

Curriculum. Child Development Media, 1994.

Shows three classrooms – one each for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners – to demonstrate learning environments that feature a wide variety of hand-on activities and open-ended materials. Shows busy, relaxed children working and playing in each classroom.

The High/Scope Approach for Under Threes. U.S. ed. High/Scope Press, 1999.

Shows caregivers interacting with infants and toddlers to support and extend their active learning explorations and discoveries. Filmed in the U.K., but illustrates the adaptability of the High/Scope approach to any setting in which caregivers wish to support very young children at their level of development.

Internet Sites

The National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education (NCBE)
http://www.ncbe.gwu.edu/library/assess.htm

This section of the Online Library of the (NCBE) contains full-text, online reports from a variety of institutions and researchers that cover all educational levels. Coverage includes assessment of limited-English proficient (LEP) students and program evaluation in schools that serve bilingual and LEP students.
 

Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI)
http://www.udel.edu/bateman/acei/

ACEI’s Web site offers its professional standards in full text, including "Preparation of Early Childhood Teachers" and "Global Guidelines for Early Childhood Education and Care in the 21st Century." The site also covers its books, journals, newsletters, and conferences.
 

Center for Career Development in Early Care and Education
http://institute.wheelock.edu

Some of the Center’s technical assistance programs offer leadership development in early child care and consultations for early care issues and problems. The Web site also describes the Center’s training, research, and information dissemination initiatives.
 

Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition
http://www.cdacouncil.org/

The Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition is a non-profit corporation in Washington, D.C. The Council’s mission is to increase the status and recognition of early care and education professionals who care for children from birth through 5 years of age in child care centers, family child care homes, and as home visitors. As part of the Council’s mission to professionalize the early child care field, a training team travels across the country to conduct workshops and seminars for early childhood educators and publishes books and manuals which report on the trends and developments in the field.
 

ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation (ERIC/AE)
http://ericae.net

ERIC/AE’s Web site offers a Full-text Internet Library that covers student evaluation for young children, students with disabilities, and bilingual/LEP students, as well as program evaluation in early childhood education. Guides for reporting to parents and the general public are also represented.
 

ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education (ERIC/EECE)
http://ericeece.org

ERIC/EECE addresses the physical, cognitive, social, educational, and cultural development of children from birth through early adolescence; learning theory research and practice related to the development of young children, including the preparation of teachers for this educational level; interdisciplinary curriculum and mixed-age teaching and learning; and theoretical and philosophical issues pertaining to children’s development and education, inter alia. ERIC/EECE’s Web site provides full-text access to its online journal, ECRP: Early Childhood Research & Practice, other documents, and listservs for administrators, practitioners, and parents.
 

The Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP)
http://gseweb.harvard.edu/~hfrp/index.html

Among the goals of the HFRP are to "design and advance evaluation practices that address community diversity, program or system complexity, and outcomes attainment." To that end, the Project acts as a clearinghouse for evaluation policy and practices, and offers its quarterly newsletter, The Evaluation Exchange, in full-text online. Other online publications of HFRP of interest to early childhood program professionals include: Early Childhood Digest; Early Childhood Reform in Seven Communities; and, Evaluating Education Reform: Early Childhood Education.
 

The High/Scope Education Foundation
http://www.highscope.org

The purpose of this independent nonprofit research, development, training, and public advocacy organization is to promote the learning and development of children worldwide from infancy through adolescence and to support and train educators and parents as they help children learn. The High/Scope educational approach is characterized by students’ active involvement with people, materials, events, and ideas.
 

MontessoriConnections
http://www.montessoriconnections.com/

Maria Montessori’s educational philosophy incorporates purposeful work and careful preparation of the environment. This site covers the underlying rationale of the philosophy and its methods, motivation, discipline, and classroom environments for infants, toddlers, and preschool children.
 

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
http://www.naeyc.org/

From the nation’s largest organization of early childhood professionals and others dedicated to improving the quality of early childhood education programs for children birth through age eight comes this Web site that covers accreditation processes and tools, federal and state policies and legislation, the Association’s policy statements, its catalog, and more.
 

The Project Approach
http://ericeece.org/project.html

This site by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education gathers a diverse collection of Internet resources pertaining to The Project Approach, in which students undertake an in-depth study of a topic. The bulk of the materials are full texts of online-accessible documents.
 

Zero to Three
http://www.zerotothree.org/

The purpose of this national, non-profit, charitable organization is to strengthen and support families, practitioners and communities to promote the healthy development of babies and toddlers. In the "For Professionals" section of its Web site, Zero to Three covers its comprehensive approach to developmental assessment of infants and toddlers, named "New Visions."