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In-depth interviews were conducted with early childhood teachers and parents in two counties with similar characteristics in Sweden and the United States. Inductive analyses revealed differences in responses between informants at the macro-, meso-, and micro-levels. At the macro-level were considerations of overall societal issues and general values. At the meso-level were considerations of parent-teacher relationships and general views about teaching and learning. At the micro-level were considerations of what actually happens in an early childhood program. U.S. informants had a greater number of topic comments and distributed them more evenly across all levels than did Swedish informants, who emphasized the meso-level. While Swedish parents seemed to take support for young children and their families for granted. U.S. informants discussed a lack of such support. U.S. informants desired both strict rules with strong academic content and extension of the child's initiations through play, emphasizing activities and materials. Swedish informants discussed a child centered approach to social learning and creativity and desired to be with children rather than do activities with them. This study revealed the interrelationship of the macro-, meso-, and micro-levels and the need for considering these relationships when designing and working in early childhood education and teacher preparation. Contains 14 references. (AJH)

Over a decade ago, the Minnesota state legislature funded the Council on Quality Education to create nine exemplary and experimental pilot programs to support young children and their families. One of the early models was a family-oriented, structured preschool activity that featured weekly 2-hour sessions during which parents of 4-year-olds worked with their children to build their cognitive abilities. Parents also attended separate parent discussions. Another project focused on training parents as teachers. This 30-week project taught parents with infants and young children to explore play with their children, and to observe and discuss problems with them. This model now forms the basis of early childhood family education programs throughout the state. The programs' major components are parent support, programming for early childhood education, and home learning experiences. Recent innovations in the program include family programs for at-risk parents, "Daddy with Kids" sessions, programs for foster parents and natural parents, parent sessions held from Native American and Hmong perspectives, and a discovery center for peaceful conflict resolution through play. A study of the long-term effects of these programs in one community revealed positive influences on the social and cognitive development of the children and on parent attitudes toward child rearing and education. (AC)

This report examines the process used to evaluate five early childhood teacher education programs in Sweden, a process involving decentralized self-studies and site visits of approximately 5 hours in length conducted by an international expert. The report first provides background information on Helen L. Carlson, of the University of Minnesota, Duluth, who served as the external evaluator; and then explains the process of reviewing the self-study materials and the purpose and process of international review. The next section describes the site visits conducted at the early childhood teacher education programs at Malmo, Halmstead, Vaxjo, Karlstad, and Gothenburg during August 20-30, 1991. Contact was made with students, faculty, and administrators, though not all groups were available at every site. Next, the major tenets of the "Standards" and "Collegial" models of evaluation are explained. The next section reviews the Swedish self-studies from the perspective of the U.S. models, including comparisons of teacher education in the two countries. Next, examples are provided of the ways that the evaluation process itself effected change in the teacher education programs, and issues raised through the evaluation are highlighted. Two major questions concerning the meaning of teacher education becoming part of the university in Sweden and clarification of the purposes of evaluation in Sweden are raised, and recommendations for answering the questions conclude the report. (AC)

Regular educators need to develop skills to work collaboratively with specialists in meeting the special needs of young children in the mainstreamed classroom. These skills include: (1) developing a common knowledge base; (2) using effective interpersonal strategies; (3) using a problem solving approach related to individual and classroom instruction issues; (4) engaging in joint planning; and (5) teaching as a team with complementary roles. A one-year study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of three instructional methods to learn collaboration skills: (1) lecture-discussion; (2) instruction using videotape; and (3) systematic, guided experience in an interdisciplinary practicum. A three-part written test and an experiential assessment were used to measure the effects of the three instructional methods. There were significant statistical differences on two parts of the written test and qualitative differences in the experiential assessment among the three instructional groups. Overall, systematic experience in an inter-disciplinary practicum was most effective on all measures in students' acquisition of collaboration skills. (Author/JD)

The purpose of this report is to give an updated perspective on teenage parents. It is suggested that, from the late 1960's to the early 1980's, thinking about the issue of adolescent parenting has shifted away from viewing teen parents primarily as intrapersonally and interpersonally deficient, from conducting teen-parent studies in a bivariate linear manner, from regarding teen-parent programs only at the micro-level, from studying only the teen mother, and from gathering global measures of development. The discussion focuses on these shifts by examining: (1) causes and effects of teen parenting; (2) programs and support systems designed to meet the needs of adolescent parents; (3) studies focused on the role of the teen father; and (4) research related to in-depth analyses of dyadic interactions between teen parents and their young children. Implications are drawn for those whose role it is to support adolescent families. To gain information, approximately 300 sources were reviewed. Over 90 percent of these sources either discussed the causes and effects of teen parenting or reviewed programs for adolescent parents. The remaining 10 percent described the role of the teen father and the dyadic interactions between teen parents and their children. Recommendations based on the review are offered. (RH)

If used carefully and with appropriate developmental expectations, primary source materials can assist children as they construct knowledge related to change and continuity. A study demonstrating this conclusion observed, videotaped, and photographed children at different stages of development as they played with specific primary source materials related to the theme "technology in the home." Children at the sensorimotor period played with washboards, tubs, and old clothes. Children at the preoperational level played with an old wringer, a copper boiler tub, and replications of a modern washer and dryer. Children at the concrete operational period studied photographs from 1900 to 1920 depicting familiar household chores. At each stage of development, different facts or evidence, conclusions or inferences, and generalizations emerged. Facts and evidence at the sensorimotor period included experiences with wet and dry, bumpy and smooth. Conclusions at this early level of development involved object identity and continuity. At the preoperational period, facts encompassed ideas about how machines worked and about physical characteristics of materials. Children concluded that clothes may be washed in different ways; their generalization stated that people washed clothes differently long ago. Facts at the concrete operational level included statements concerning the physical work required to iron, get water, sweep floors, and sew. Chldren at this level inferred that, although basic household tasks remained the same, completion of tasks in the past required more muscle power. A generalization within the capacity of children at the level of concrete operations would indicate that technology has changed the ways in which household chores are done. (RH)