The importance of structure in early education programs for disadvan‐taged and handicapped children†

Abstract

An analysis of the amount and type of structure of early intervention programs was conducted as part of a review of literature on the efficacy of early intervention with disadvan‐taged, at‐risk, and handicapped preschoolers. Results indicated that programs with preplanned goals and structured curriculum produced significantly more gains for disadvantaged preschoolers, but the results are less clear cut for handicapped preschoolers. It is not clear just what type of structure for handicapped preschoolers is needed in curriculum and staff model and if this degree in structure is advantageous to children who are not experiencing difficulties. Suggestions for further study of goal setting and evaluation for infants and children and the training and supervison of staff necessary to implement structured programs is given. †The work reported in this article was carried out in part with funds from the U.S. Department of Education (Contract #300‐82‐0367) to the Early Intervention Research Institute at Utah State U...