Implementing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education in early childhood education has received increasing attention in recent years. STEM process skills developed during the early years have lifelong positive effects on young children. In this study, we developed the Children's STEM Habits of Mind Questionnaire (CSHMQ)…

Preschoolers are offered few opportunities to become acquainted with non-fiction books, and when they are given the possibility to read non-fiction picturebooks, these are often fictionalised in one way or another. The fictionalisation of children's non-fiction blurs the boundaries between fiction and non-fiction picturebooks. This could mean that…

Objectives: The habit of recycling should be acquired at an early age in order to promote the sustainable use of natural resources. The limited number of studies carried out with early-years children highlights the need for more research with members of this age group. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the 'Don't Waste! -- Recycle'…

Playing board games and other math activities can provide young children with opportunities to develop their math skills. However, it is critical to understand for whom these activities may be most beneficial. In two studies, we examine the extent to which foundational cognitive skills moderate the effects of playing math games on math skills. In…

Research Findings: Letter name knowledge (LNK) is essential for a good start in learning to read. However, the literature shows conflicting results. Using an associative learning theory framework, the present study examined the influence of child and letter characteristics on LNK in French-speaking children. Children aged 3 to 5-6 years were asked…

Researchers have long been interested in the origins of humans' understanding of symbolic number, focusing primarily on how children learn the meanings of number words (e.g., "one", "two", etc.). However, recent evidence indicates that children learn the meanings of number gestures before learning number words. In the present…

The aim of this study is to determine the number sense skills of preschool (Kindergarten) children. In the study, survey design, one of the quantitative research methods, was used. The study group consists of a total of 114 children attending all the kindergartens (5 kindergartens) in the city center of Tunceli in the 2020-2021 school year. The…

In Lithuania, citizenship education for preschool children was not regulated until 2022, and consequently the related issues have not yet received much attention from Lithuanian researchers. However, based on the insights of scientists from other countries it can be argued that in order for children to be active citizens when they grow up, it is…

Policy emphases on early childhood and elementary computer science education have led to the development of many developmentally appropriate computer science and robotics tools, pedagogies, and high-quality curricula. One example is the integrated Coding as Another Language pedagogy for coding, literacy, and social and emotional learning. The…

Learning environments can support the development of foundational knowledge and promote children's attitudes toward learning and school. This study explores the relation between school enjoyment and general knowledge from preschool (2016-2017) to kindergarten (2017-2018) in 1359 children (M[subscript age] = 55, 61 months, female = 50%; 58.5%…

Learning environments can support the development of foundational knowledge and promote children's attitudes toward learning and school. This study explores the relation between school enjoyment and general knowledge from preschool (2016-2017) to kindergarten (2017-2018) in 1359 children (M[subscript age] = 55, 61 months, female = 50%; 58.5%…

Research Findings: Emotion knowledge is one facet of social and emotional learning (SEL) that emerges in early childhood. Various interventions and measures target preschoolers' emotional skills to bolster these foundational competencies prior to formal schooling. One measure of emotion knowledge specifically with preschool children is the Affect…

Letter names are some of the many preschool accomplishments that are of particular relevance to later academic challenges. However, many children enter school without having fluent letter name knowledge. The current study evaluated the effects of a taped-letter (TL) intervention delivered through PowerPoint on the accuracy of letter identification…

It is crucial that future generations have the knowledge about nature and the willingness to make right decisions for sustainable development, including the halt of global biodiversity loss. Perception of species and the ability to identify wild species (i.e. animals, plants and fungi) are fundamental for the understanding of biodiversity.…

There is growing interest in mathematics learning progressions in early childhood education. Counting is a skill usually developed early in life. The application of the counting principles in early childhood typically entails counting objects. This poses challenges for learning about zero. Indeed, the word "zero" is seldom used in the…