New Directions in the Kindergarten

The unique feature of this book is the report of two studies conducted by the authors in a kindergarten class of the Agness Russell School, Teachers College, which were concerned with children’s learning of certain concepts in history and geography the first year and in economics the second. The authors’ intent to translate important concepts from history and geography the first year and in economics the second year into simply stated understandings which could be grasped by five-year-olds was not always achieved. The authors have been frank and objective in their appraisals of the two studies, which were to test hypotheses, not to reinforce previous commitments. While the various components of a kindergarten program are comparable to other current books on the subject, the concluding chapter on the evaluation of kindergarten children’s learning is a worthy innovation.