An analysis of excellent early educational practices: Preliminary report

A substantial number of young children seem to reach age six very poorly prepared for future learning experiences, including formal education. This paper is a preliminary report of a large project designed to generate knowledge about how best to rear children during their first six years of life. The strategy has been to systematically and intensively observe how some families manage to do an unusually good job with their young children. Preliminary results are reported on (1) the details of the everyday experiences of well versus poorly developing one- and two-year-old children, (2) their developing competencies, and (3) environmental factors that appear to influence these processes of development in significant ways.

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Résumé Nombre d'enfants semblent atteindre l'âge de six ans malpréparés pour les expériences futures d'études, comprenant l'éducation formelle. Cet article constitue un rapport préliminaire d'un projet considérable dessiné à développer les connaissances concernant les meilleures méthodes d'élever les enfants pendant leurs premiers six ans. On a observé systématiquement et intensivement comment quelques familles parviennent à bien élever leurs enfants. On fait un rapport sur (1) les expériences courantes des enfants âgés d'un an ou deux qui se développent bien et de ceux qui se développent mal, (2) leurs compétences croissantes, et (3) les facteurs environnementaux que semblent influencer ces procédés du développent d'une manière significative.

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I wish to extend my gratitude to the past and present research staff of the Pre-School Project: Dr. E. R. LaCrosse, Jr., Dr. Patrick C. Lee, Mrs. Frances Litman, Dr. Daniel M. Ogilvie, Dr. Susan S. Stodolsky, Mrs. Jacqueline Allman, Miss Frances Aversa, Mrs. Ellen C. Banks, Mrs. Kitty Riley Clark, Mrs. Virginia Demos, Mrs. Marjorie Elias, Dr. John Guidubaldi, Mrs. Barbara Kaban, Miss Barbara Koslowski, Mrs. Mary Meader Mokler, Mrs. Meredith Stone Pandolfi, Mrs. Barbara Rich Bushell, Mrs. Bernice Shapiro, Mrs. Sylvia Skolnick Staub, Mrs. Jolinda Taylor, Mrs. Eleanor Wasserman, Mrs. Louise Woodhead, Mrs. Cherry Collins, Mrs. Nancy Apfel, Mrs. Itty Barnett, Mrs. Martha Carroll, Mrs. Mary Comita, Miss Christine Halfar, Miss Geraldine Kearse, Miss Maxine Manjos, Mrs. Janice Marmor, Mrs. Ingrid Stocking, Dr. Jean Watts, Mr. Paul Weene, Miss A. Elise Weinrich, Mrs. Martha Bronson, Mr. Andrew Cohn, and Dr. Melvin Zolot. Also the cooperation of several hundred families and many school personnel from nearby public and private institutions made this study possible.

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The research and development reported herein was performed in part pursuant to a contract (OE 5-10-39) with the U.S. Office of Education, under the provisions of the Cooperative Research Program as a project of the Harvard University Center for Research and Development on Educational Differences; The Carnegie Corporation of New York; and The Office of Economic Opportunity, Head Start Division. The statements made and views expressed are solely the responsibility of the author.