The guiding principles of developmentally appropriate early childhood education are examined, along with pertinent research, concrete examples, and implications for practice. Chapter 1 provides a brief introduction to recent trends in early childhood education. Chapter 2 considers the principle of matching early childhood education practices to the ways children learn. Factors affecting children's development and the unique characteristics of young children's thinking are explored. Chapter 3 addresses the implementation of developmentally appropriate curricula in learning environments that are structured to encourage exploration and facilitate learning and development. Characteristics of the environments and materials from which children process information, construct knowledge, and solve problems are examined. The guiding principle considered in chapter 4 is that of viewing the age range of 5 to 8 years as a continuum of development rather than as a series of discrete grade levels. Curricular and instructional strategies for dealing with the similarities and differences in this age span are discussed. Chapter 5 urges educators to consider parent involvement as a critical element in the early childhood curriculum. The benefits of parent involvement for children, parents, teachers, and schools are described. Chapter 6 delves into the relationship between evaluation, the curriculum, and the child, arguing for the use of ongoing evaluation for decision making and curriculum development. Finally, chapter 7 offers a transactional approach to teaching in early childhood. (AC)

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