“…As stated in the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) position paper on the preparation of early childhood teachers (ACEI, 1997), Early childhood teachers should have well-planned laboratory experiences under the supervision ofexperienced and qualified teachers of young children ... experiences should include observation, participation, studentteaching, and seminar discussion. (p. 165) The proliferation of field-based experiences (Erdman, 1983;Zeichner, 1978) and the discontinuity between early childhood course content and students' practicum experiences have been described by many educators (Clawson, 1999;Gilbert, 1999;Horm-Wingerd, Warford, & Penhollow, 1999;Katz, 1992). Pre-student teaching experiences are not always designed to complement academic preparation for the early childhood student, nor do they always add an important dimension to the educational process.…”