The Head Start Thesaurus is a dynamic resource that will be updated continually to reflect the state of the art and the state of science in the areas of early childhood education and development, family support and community services. New editions or revisions of the thesaurus will be published as needed.

If you have any comments or recommendations for additions to the Head Start Thesaurus, please contact

Trans Management Systems Corporation
l0125 Vermont Avenue, NW
Suite 1025
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Fax: (202) 737-1151
 
Alphabetical Hierarchical Display
 
 
 [A]

Abandoned infants
RT Child neglect

Ability
SN The degree of actual power present in an individual to perform a given physical or mental act
NT Academic ability
   Skills
RT Disabilities
   Qualifications
   Readiness

Abused children
 USE Child abuse

Academic achievement
SN level of attainment or proficiency in scholastic or educational activities.
RT Cognitive development
   Individual development
   School readiness

Academic aptitude
SN An individual's potential ability to perform scholastic or educational activities.
RT Academic ability
   School readiness

Accessibility
SN Characteristics of facilities, programs and services that allow them to be entered or used by individuals despite visual, hearing, mobility or other impairments.
NT Equal access
RT Building design
   Children with disabilities
   Facilities
   Inclusion

Accident prevention
BT Accidents
RT Injury prevention
   Safety

Accidents
SN Unforeseen incidents that often include injury to the individuals involved.
RT Accident prevention
   Emergency plans
   First aid
   Natural disasters

Accountability
SN Responsible and answerable for specified results or outcomes
of an activity.
RT Accounting systems
   Audits
   Competency based education
   Evaluation criteria
   Program effectiveness

Accounting systems
RT Accountability
   Reporting systems

Accreditation
SN Use for center and family care programs. Use Licensing or Certification for individual providers.
BT Certification
RT Standards

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
 USE AIDS

Activities
SN Pursuits or experiences requiring active participation, engaged in because they are of intrinsic interest lead to some goal sought by the participants.
NT Recreational activities

Adaptive development
SN Ways in which disabled individuals meet the personal and social standards of their age or cultural groups..
RT Disabilities
   Mental disorders
   Mental retardation
   Social skills
   Special needs students

ADD
 USE Attention deficit disorders

Administration
UF Management
SN Planning, organizing, directing and controlling human or
material resources to accomplish predetermined goals.
BT Governance
RT Administrative policy
   Administrative procedures
   Decision making
   Budgeting
   Governing boards
   Management information systems
   Staffing

Administration for Children and Families
BT Department of Health and Human Services
NT Administration on Children, Youth and Families

Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYL)
BT Administration for Children and Families
NT Head Start program

Administration of medication
 USE Medication administration

Administrative policy
SN Statement of an administrative body outlining the principles
and practices to be followed with respect to specific matters.
BT Policy
RT Administration

Administrative procedures
UF Management procedures
SN The ways in which planning, organizing, directing, and
controlling activities are routinely performed.
BT Procedures
RT Administration
   Administrative policy

Administrative services
SN Assistance provided relating to the planning, organization
and direction of Head Start program activities.
BT Services
RT Administrative policy
   Administrative procedures

Administrators
SN Persons involved in planning, organizing, directing and controlling human or material resources to accomplish predetermined goals.
BT Personnel
NT Program directors
   State administrators
RT Tribal elders

Adolescent parents
USE Early parenthood

Adoption
SN The process of taking a child into one's home through legal means and raising it as one's own child.
RT Adoptive families
   Foster families

Adoptive families
SN Family units created through the process of adoption.
BT Families

Adult-directed activities
UF Staff-directed activities
RT Learning activities

Adult hepatitis B vaccine
USE Hepatitis vaccines

Adult learning
SN Curriculum and teaching methods targeted for adults.
BT Learning
RT Parenting education

Advisory Committee on Head Start Quality and Expansion
SN Formed in June 1993 to review Head Start quality and expansion issues. The committee made recommendations in a December 1993 report, Creating a 21st Century Head Start.

Advisory Committee on Services for Families with Infants and Toddlers SN Formed in July 1994 to advise and inform DHHS on the development of program approaches for Early Head Start, a program serving low-income pregnant women and families with infants and toddlers.
BT Department of Health and Human Services
RT Early Head Start

Advisory committees
SN Established with professionals and volunteers from the community to address program service issues such as community partnership and to help agencies respond to community needs.
RT Consultants
   Governing boards
   Needs assessments

Advocacy
SN Full support for, and representation of, an individual, group, cause, or idea.
NT Child advocacy
   Family advocacy
   Parent advocacy
RT Intervention

African Americans
UF Blacks
RT Ethnic groups
   Minority groups

Age-appropriate
USE Developmentally-appropriate

Age groups
SN Whenever possible, use one of the following narrower terms.
NT Children
   Early childhood
   Infants
   Infants and toddlers
   Toddlers

Agencies
SN Organizations serving the public, or administrative units of government.
NT Child care agencies
   Community agencies
   Federal agencies
   Local agencies
   Social agencies
   State agencies
   Youth agencies
RT Tribal government

Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)
BT Department of Health and Human Services

AIDS
UF Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
   HIV infection
SN Infectious, life-threatening virus that inhibits the body's
   protective immune system.
BT Communicable diseases
RT Physical health
   Special health problems

Alabama

Alaska

Alcohol abuse
SN Excessive or otherwise inappropriate ingestion of alcoholic beverages, often causing risk or injury to health and impaired social functioning.
BT Antisocial behavior
   Substance abuse
RT Drug abuse

Allergies
SN Abnormally high sensitivities to certain substances such as pollen, foods, or microorganisms' that can cause symptoms such as sneezing, itching and skin rashes.
BT Diseases
RT Asthma
   Physical health
   Special health problems

Alternate placement

American Indian Program

American Indians
UF Indians
   Native Americans
SN See related terms under Tribal.
BT Ethnic groups
   Minority groups
RT Federal Indian partnership
   Indian reservations
   Tribal sovereignty

American Red Cross
SN An organization that cares for the wounded, sick and homeless during and following natural disasters and coordinates the national collection and distribution of whole blood and plasma.

American Samoa
BT Pacific insular areas

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
SN Signed in 1990, it provides disabled Americans, including those with AIDS, the same rights to jobs, public transportation and public accommodations that women and racial, religious and ethnic minorities receive under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
RT Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

AmeriCorps
SN Volunteer service organization that offers Americans 18 or older opportunities to serve in urban or rural communities helping to fill education, human needs, public safety and environmental needs.
NT FamilyServe Project
RT Foster Grandparents
   Retired Senior Volunteer Program
   Volunteers in Service to America
Antisocial behavior
SN Behavior that violates the normal rules, standards, understandings or expectations of society.
BT Social behavior
NT Child abuse
   Child neglect
   Violence
RT Alcohol abuse
   Behavior disorders
   Drug abuse
   Substance abuse

Appeal procedures
SN The process required to submit an appeal for review.
BT Appeals

Appeals
SN Applications to a higher authority for a review of a decision or judgment.
NT Administrative appeal
RT Appeal procedures

Architectural design
 USE Building design

Arizona

Arkansas

Art education
SN Education concerned with one or more of the fine or applied arts, including studies and creative experiences.
BT Education
RT Children's art
   Dance education
   Museums
   Visual arts

Art therapy
SN The therapeutic use of art forms (painting, sculpting, drawing, etc.) in achieving self-expression and emotional release, usually in a context of remediation or rehabilitation.
BT Therapy
RT Educational therapy
   Play therapy
   Visual arts

Arts in Education Program (National Endowment for the Arts)

Asian Americans
BT Ethnic groups
   Minority groups

Assessment
SN The ongoing procedures used to identify a child's unique needs and the services appropriate to meet those needs; and the resources, priorities, and concerns of the family and the support and services necessary to enhance the family's capacity to meet the developmental needs of the child.
NT Community assessment
   Needs assessment
RT Evaluation
   Testing

Assessment tools
RT Evaluation
   Tests

Asthma
SN A chronic respiratory disease, often arising from allergies, that is characterized by sudden recurring attacks of labored breathing, chest constriction and coughing.
BT Disease
RT Allergies
   Physical health
   Special health problems

At Risk Child Care Program
BT Child care programs
RT Risk

At-risk children
UF Children at risk
SN Individuals identified as possibly having or potentially developing a problem (physical, mental, educational, etc.) requiring further evaluation or intervention.
BT Children
RT At-risk families
   Crisis intervention
   Developmental delays
   Disabilities
   Early intervention
   Risk

At-risk families
UF Families at risk
SN Families identified as possibly having or potentially developing a problem (physical, mental, educational, etc.) requiring further evaluation or intervention.
BT Families
RT At-risk children
   Crisis intervention
   Early intervention
   Family preservation
   Family support
   Risk

Attachment
SN An emotional bond between individuals, based on attraction and dependence.
RT Behavior development
   Emotional development
   Parent-child relationship
   Separation
   Social development
   Staff-child relationship

Attendance
SN The individuals or number of individuals present at a program or event.
RT Enrollment

Attention deficit disorders
UF ADD
SN Deficit in ability to sustain attention; characterized by developmentally inappropriate inattention, and impulsivity.
BT Disabilities
   Special needs children
RT Behavior disorders
   Emotional disturbances
   Hyperactivity
   Learning disabilities
   Neurological impairments

Audiovisual aids
UF Audiovisual materials
SN Non print instructional materials and the equipment required for their display.
NT Instructional films
RT Multimedia training materials

Audiovisual materials
 USE Audiovisual aids

Auditory tests
SN Tests designed to assess hearing ability.
BT Tests
RT Diagnostic tests
   Hearing impairment
   Physical examinations
   Screening tests
   Vision tests

Audits
SN Verification of the legality, fidelity, efficiency or feasibility of procedures, operations, transactions or expenditures, often by an independent person or agency.
RT Accountability
   Compliance (legal)
   Evaluation methods
   Inspection
   Monitoring
   Program administration
   Record-keeping
   Standards

Autism
SN A disorder characterized by abnormal introversion and
egocentricity.
RT Developmental disabilities Emotional disturbances
Special needs children

[B]

Baby bottle tooth decay
 USE Infant dental caries

Background checks
UF Criminal record checks
SN Pre-employment checks of an individual's employment record and other relevant characteristics.
RT Staff qualifications
   Teacher qualifications
   Work history

Behavior
UF Conduct
SN The aggregate of observable responses of an organism to internal and external stimuli.
RT Behavior development
   Behavior disorders

Behavior development
BT Individual development
RT Developmental psychology
   Nature nurture controversy

Behavior disorders
UF Behavior problems
SN Chronic or severe disorders of conduct, i.e. generally aberrant and unacceptable behaviors with or without serious underlying psychopathology.
BT Disabilities
RT Antisocial behavior
   Attention deficit disorders
   Hyperactivity
   Special needs children

Behavior management
UF Discipline
SN Alteration of behavior by the use of positive, non-punitive methods of guidance and discipline.
RT Behavior change
   Child guidance
   Intervention

Behavior problems
 USE Behavior disorders

Behavior screening
BT Screening
RT Developmental screening
   Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT)
   Sensory screening

Bibliographies
SN Lists of the works by a specific author or publisher or focused on a specific topic.
BT Publications
RT Directories

Bilingual materials
SN Print and/or nonprint materials in two languages, for example in English and Spanish developed specifically for use with individuals who need proficiency in two languages. NT Spanish language materials
RT Parent materials
   Reference materials
   Resource materials

Bilingual programs
SN Activities offered in two languages, emphasizing the cultural heritage of the participants.
RT Cultural diversity
   Home language
   Multicultural principles

Blacks
 USE African Americans

Blindness
 USE Visual impairment

Block grants
SN Financial assistance for broad ranges of activities and services, of which specific dispensations of allocated funds are made at the discretion of the grantee within the bounds of a statutory formula.
BT Financial support
   Grants
RT Federal aid
   Federal-State relationship

Boards of education
UF School boards
SN Governing bodies for school districts.
BT Governing boards
NT State boards of education
RT School districts
   Schools

Brain injuries
UF Traumatic brain injuries

Breakfast programs
BT Nutrition programs
RT Food standards
   Lunch programs
   Meal services
 

Breastfeeding
BT Nutrition
RT Feeding schedules
   Infant formula
   Infants

Bright Smiles, Bright Futures Program

Budgeting
SN The process of determining estimates of proposed expenditures for a given period or purpose and the proposed means of financing them.
BT Planning
RT Administration
   Budgets
   Expenditures

Budgets
SN Estimates of proposed expenditures for a given period or purpose and the proposed means of financing them.
RT Administration
   Budgeting
   Expenditures
   Planning

Building design
UF Architectural design
SN The plan for a facility or building that includes the structure, elements, arrangement, materials, etc.
BT Facilities
RT Accessibility

Building maintenance
 USE Facilities maintenance

Bulletin board systems
BT Electronic resources
RT Databases

Bureau of the Census
BT Department of Commerce

Bus drivers
RT Driver qualifications
   Staff qualifications
   Transportation

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