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  Early Childhood Development Resource Guide

Librarian
Name: Jennifer Darragh
Phone: (804) 828-8961
Email: jdarragh@vcu.edu

Purpose

This guide was created by VCU Libraries to support the faculty, students, and community members involved in VCU's Community Solutions initiative. Others may also find this information useful. The resources presented here are intended to provide background information and opportunities for further research in the area of Early Childhood Development. This guide is selective, and does not include all existing resources related to this topic. If you require further research assistance, please contact a VCU Librarian. For more information about VCU Community Solutions, please refer to Division of Community Engagement.

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Books

All of the following books are located in the Cabell Reference section, located on the first floor of Cabell Library.  These books provide an overview of the major issues related to Early Childhood Development.

  • A to Z Handbook of Child and Adolescent Issues (2000)
    Call Number: Cabell Library Reference BF721.T38 2000
  • Child Development Abstracts and Bibliography (1927-1998)
    Call Number: Cabell Library Reference HQ750.A1 C47
  • Encyclopedia of Family Life (1999)
    Call Number: Cabell Library Reference HQ534.E53 1999
  • Magill's Encyclopedia of Social Science: Psychology (2003)
    Call Number: Cabell Library Reference BF31.M34 2003

For books with in-depth treatments of particular topics, enter the following terms into the VCU Libraries Catalog search box and select "Subject begins with" from the drop-down box:

  • child care
  • child development
  • child psychiatry
  • child psychology
  • child rearing
  • early childhood education
  • early intervention (education)
  • education, preschool
  • education, primary
  • infant psychiatry
  • preschool children
  • toddlers

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Online Journals

The following is list of selected journals available online.  Journals labeled VCU only are accessible from both campuses, or off-campus using EZProxy. Dates represent when full-text is available. Earlier copies in print may also be available.  Please consult the VCU Libraries Catalog for more information.

  • Children, Youth and Environments (1984-)
    From the University of Colorado. Includes peer-reviewed research articles, field reports, book reviews, a database of individuals and organizations worldwide, a calendar of upcoming events, a searchable bibliography, video links, and more.
  • Early Childhood Education Journal VCU (2003-)
    "A professional publication for early childhood practitioners, such as classroom teachers, child care providers, and teacher educators, all of whom are dedicated to the education and care of young children, ages birth through eight." Peer-reviewed.
  • Early Childhood Reporter VCU (1995-)
    Information on services for children with special needs. Updates monthly. (Select the "Sources" tab in LexisNexis; Enter the journal title in the "Find a Source" search box).
  • Early Childhood Research and Practice (1999-; English/Spanish from 2004-)
    "A peer-reviewed electronic journal sponsored by the Early Childhood and Parenting Collaborative at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, covers topics related to the development, care, and education of children from birth to approximately age 8."
  • The Future of Children (1991-)
    "Each journal issue examines a single topic of importance to children from a multidisciplinary perspective."

For more print and electronic journals, enter the following terms into the VCU Libraries Catalog search box and select "Subject begins with" from the drop-down box:

  • Child development -- Periodicals
  • Child psychology -- Periodicals
  • Children -- United States -- Statistics -- Periodicals
  • Early childhood education -- Periodicals
  • Parent and child -- Periodicals

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Selected Readings

The following readings have been selected by VCU faculty experts as important publications on the topic of Early Childhood Development. They are all freely available online unless otherwise indicated:

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Articles and Databases

Databases are tools used for finding articles about a particular topic. Early Childhood Development is a interdisciplinary topic, and so relevant articles may be found in many different databases. Below is a selected list of databases and their related subject areas. Databases labeled VCU only are accessible from both campuses, or off-campus using EZProxy.

For more databases, see VCU Libraries' Research Page.

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General Web Resources

These selected web sites have been reviewed for reliable, quality information about Early Childhood Development.

 

Child Care and Early Education Research Connections

Child & Family Web Guide - Tufts University

  • "The Web Guide is a directory that evaluates, describes and provides links to hundreds of sites containing child development research and practical advice."

Child Trends

  • "Child Trends is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization dedicated to improving the lives of children by conducting research and providing science-based information to improve the decisions, programs, and policies that affect children and their families."

Child Trends Databank

  • Contains "latest national trends and research on over 80 key indicators of child and youth well-being. "  Sources include federal reports and web sites.

CYFERnet

  • "CYFERnet's Web site brings together the best, children, youth and family resources of all the public land-grant universities in the country. Materials are carefully reviewed by college and university faculty. Through CYFERnet you can also interact with your colleagues and share your work nationally."

Getting Ready

  • For Information about the School Readiness Indicators Initiative.

Family Involvement Resource Guide at FINE (Harvard University)

Kentucky Department of Education - Early Childhood Development Links of Interest

  • Links to information about Early Childhood Development and related topics.

Kids Count

  • "KIDS COUNT, a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is a national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children in the U.S."  Provides benchmarks of child well-being.

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

National Child Care Information Center

  • The NCCIC is "a national clearinghouse and technical assistance center that links parents, providers, policy-makers, researchers, and the public to early care and education information." The site lists federal and state agencies that can provide information on particular topics.

National Governor's Association Center for Best Practices (Early Childhood)

  • "The NGA Center for Best Practices focuses on state innovations and best practices on issues that range from education and health to technology, welfare reform, and the environment." Descriptions of current Early Childhood Development projects are provided, as well as reports, issue briefs, meeting summaries, and other online documents.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

  • The NICHD is a part of the National Institutes of Health, which is the biomedical research arm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NICHD publications on Child Behavior, Child Care, Child Care Research, Child Development, Child Health, Child Health Indicators, Child Health Research Centers, and Children's Report are available.

National Scientific Council on the Developing Child

  • The Council, housed at The Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, consists of scientists who seek to disseminate early childhood research information to the public.

Research and Training Center on Early Childhood Development

  • "Our website is designed specifically for parents, therapists, early childhood educators, and early interventionists, as well as researchers. The website includes information about effective practices based on research."
  • Concerns children who are at risk for or who have developmental delays and disabilities.

Zero to Three

  • Contains resources for parents and professionals who support the healthy development of infants and toddlers.

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Special Topics Web Resources

The following web sites concern specific aspects of Early Childhood Development:

 

Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning

  • "A national center focused on strengthening the capacity of child care and Head Start programs to improve the social and emotional outcomes of young children."

Center for Evidence-based Practice: Young Children with Challenging Behavior

  • "The mission of the Center is to promote the use of evidence-based practice to meet the needs of young children who have, or are at risk for, problem behavior."

Circle of Inclusion

  • "This web site offers demonstrations of and information about the effective practices of inclusive educational programs for children from birth through age eight."

Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (Early Childhood Research Institute)

  • "The CLAS Institute identifies, evaluates, and promotes effective and appropriate early intervention practices and preschool practices that are sensitive and respectful to children and families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds."

Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC)

  • "An international membership organization for individuals who work with or on behalf of children with special needs, birth through age eight and their families."

Early Childhood Outcomes Center

  • "Demonstrating results for Infants, toddlers and preschoolers with disabilities and their families."

Measuring Growth and Development (Early Childhood Research Institute)

National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC)

  • NECTAC "supports the national implementation of the early childhood provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)."
  • See the annotated list of online journals in early intervention/early childhood special education.

Parents Action for Children

  • Parents Action for Children "is a national non-profit dedicated to advancing the interests of families and young children."  This site is primarily directed toward parents.

Research and Training Center on Early Childhood Development

  • "Our website is designed specifically for parents, therapists, early childhood educators, and early interventionists, as well as researchers. The website includes information about effective practices based on research."
  • Concerns children who are at risk for or who have developmental delays and disabilities.

VDOE's Training and Technical Assistance Program at VCU:  Early Childhood Special Education

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Local Resources

The following web sites contain information specific to Richmond and Virginia.

ConnectRichmond

  • ConnectRichmond is a clearinghouse of community information on a variety of issues. It is a joint project of the Community Foundation Serving Richmond and Central Virginia , the Junior League of Richmond, the Markel Corporation, the University of Richmond , and Virginia Commonwealth University.
  • See links to "Child Abuse," "Child Care," "Education" and "Foster Care & Adoption."

Early Childhood and Even Start

Partnership for Families Northside

  • Partnership for Families Northside is a group of human service organizations that helps families prepare their children ages 0 to 5 years to enter school healthy, strong and ready to learn.

United Way Success by 6 (United Way of Geater Richmond and Petersburg)

  • "Driven by its mission that all children from birth to six in Greater Richmond and Petersburg will be healthy, well-cared for and ready to succeed in school, Success By 6 is focused on improving the quality and accessibility of early care and education for all children both within the home and out of the home.

Virginia Department of Social Services - Early Childhood Development Partnerships

  • Contains grant availability announcements and grant application materials.

Voices for Virginia's Children

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Last Updated: February 06, 2009