In the Fall of 2018, the author embarked on her dissertation research, focusing on the critical issue of enhancing early childhood programs through the lens of early literacy development facilitated by play. At that time, many districts' early childhood curricula were heavily skewed towards academics, such as English/Language Arts (ELA) and Math,…

Playing the violin demands highly skilled motor performance, including advanced bimanual coordination and controlled, independent movement of fingers. Through existing literature, the current study aims to demonstrate how young children's motor development relates to the motor demands of violin playing, specifically the demands on the left hand,…

The Finnish education system has garnered significant international interest due to its consistently high rankings for decades. However, the same level of interest has not been extended to the country's early childhood education system. In Finland, early childhood education and care are regarded as the cornerstones of the Finnish education system,…

Noncompliance is a frequently reported challenging behavior for young children. However, many interventions that address noncompliance fail to consider crucial self-advocacy skills that may be jeopardized when compliance is taught in isolation. We examined the noncompliance literature in the context of ethical considerations for young children:…

Around the world, on every continent, and in every country, children play. Though culturally contextualized, play is a global common childhood experience. There are cultural variations in children's play activities, and though play looks and sounds different across the world, there are also commonalities. Though scholars find it difficult to…

Intergenerational science education programs provide many opportunities to enhance content connection-making, foster classroom community, and cultivate science identity for participants. The Early Adventures Program (EAP) at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) serves as a model for adult-child co-learning programs for children (ages…

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) has received widespread attention worldwide and technology companies designed educational applications (apps) focusing on STEM. Young children have access to tablets and smartphones and they engage with a variety of apps every day. Prior research showed that young children learn from…

This essay entails a critical review of the origins, discourses and contemporary manifestations of NAEYC's enduring commitment to 'developmentally appropriate practice' (DAP); and proposes a reconceptualisation of DAP as an open question and incentive for place-based collaborative inquiry. Brief discussion of ECE's early history highlights…

A large body of research literature suggests that quality formative assessment has the potential to promote positive outcomes for young children. This paper posits that early childhood educators learn how to use developmentally appropriate assessment practices to effectively assess young children and use these data to make decisions that matter…

"Effective Practices in Early Childhood Education" is designed to empower a new generation of teachers who can make a difference in children's lives. It covers both how to teach, and what to teach, young children from birth through age 8. An entire chapter introduces developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) for early childhood…

This conceptual article describes key considerations for elementary school personnel to ensure social emotional multi-tiered systems of supports (MTSS) are adapted for kindergarten classrooms. Kindergarten represents a unique developmental period of early childhood when 5 to 6-year-old children transition into formal schooling and experience a…

How do young children learn, and what do educators need to know and do to teach them? Covering the full birth-8 early childhood age range, this introductory text delivers up-to-date answers through a unique lens: a deep focus on the neurological foundations of developmentally appropriate practices. Preservice and inservice educators will explore…

California's public-school system recently introduced another grade level, Transitional Kindergarten, as an opportunity to offer universal access to early education for all 4-year-olds. Elementary school teachers and administrators must be well prepared to support and education these young children. This dissertation focuses on four key principles…

Children are growing up in a media-rich digital environment where they are immersed in new technologies in unprecedented ways. Digital games are one of these technologies, and young children play a wide range of digital games. Research studies suggest that digital games support children's learning and development. The paper aims to assess digital…

With young children, there is often an instructional focus on naturalistic interactions between the child and environment. In special education, there are times when direct instruction (di) and discrete trial training (DTT) are both needed, requiring a balance of explicit DTT and child-initiated instruction. This article discusses what…