Early childhood education has reached a level of unprecedented national and international focus. Parents, policy makers, and politicians have opinions as well as new questions about what, how, when, and where young children should learn. Teachers and program administrators now find curriculum discussions linked to dramatic new understandings about children's early learning and brain development. Early childhood education is also a major topic of concern internationally, as social policy analysts point to its role in a nation's future economic outlook. As a groundbreaking contribution to its field, this four-volume handbook discusses key historical and contemporary issues, research, theoretical perspectives, national policies, and practices.


A wealth of information provides the user with up-to-date expert entries on a plethora of topics.

Over three hundred entries in volumes 1, 2, and 3 cover such topics as:

accountability

assessment

biculturalism

bullying

child abuse

early intervention

ethnicity

Head Start

No Child Left Behind

Zero to three