In recent years, several states have expanded a new publicly funded learning option: Transitional Kindergarten (TK). TK bridges prekindergarten and kindergarten in its eligibility, requirements, and design. Using Michigan as a case study, we examine TK's fit in the early learning landscape. Broadly, we find TK in Michigan reduces some…

The present study aimed to examine the effect of a dialogic book reading program on preschool children's perspective taking skills. In line with this aim, a dialogic book reading program was designed, and its effects were tested in a quasi-experimental study involving both pre/post and follow-up tests. The study group consisted of 42 five-year old…

Effective transitions to kindergarten engage families and ease children into new environments. Countdown to Kindergarten (CTK), a program in a southeastern U.S. state that serves more than 1,000 children each year and is grounded in Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, partners kindergarten teachers and families to facilitate effective…

This study aims to explore in greater depth the role of implementing child-friendly schools, parental involvement in enhancing the effectiveness of child-friendly school policies and practices, and evaluating the challenges that arise in the implementation of child-friendly schools. This qualitative descriptive exploratory research utilizes the…

In recent years, several states have expanded a new publicly funded learning option: Transitional Kindergarten (TK). TK bridges prekindergarten and kindergarten in its eligibility, requirements, and design. Using Michigan as a case study, we examine TK's fit in the early learning landscape. Broadly, we find TK in Michigan reduces some…

Early childhood forms the fundamental basis for developing various social-emotional skills and represents a unique opportunity to lay the foundation for healthy development. Insensitive learning environments in early childhood may lead to social-emotional difficulties, increasing the risk of developing severe behavioral problems. However,…

The purpose of this paper is to present the design, implementation and evaluation of the Personal Development through Resilience, Emotional Development and Well-being (PD-REW) project. This is a personal development project aimed at teachers in training, which contains elements of resilience, emotional development and well-being. It is based on…

Policymakers and practitioners are increasingly interested in using wage supplement strategies to address pervasively low compensation in the child care and early education (CCEE) field. This document describes how and why a wage supplement may lead to positive outcomes for the CCEE field--like improved retention and reduced turnover--through a…

With the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather disasters, it is essential for Office of Head Start staff and Early Head Start/Head Start (EHS/HS) program leaders to prepare for and respond effectively to these challenges. This brief presents data on the number and percentage of EHS/HS sites located in extreme weather affected areas…

Early Childhood Environmental Education (EECE) and Early Childhood Education for Sustainability (ECEfS) are becoming increasingly integrated into preschool curricula, highlighting their key role in shaping environmentally conscious and sustainably oriented generations from an early age. The mentioned concepts represent the theoretical starting…

The Office of Early Learning and School Readiness provides technical assistance and resources for our partners working with families, preschool staff and communities to meet the individual needs of preschool children with disabilities. The goal of this manual is to offer information to preschool programs and school districts that are responsible…

Implementation fidelity is often thought of as a necessary condition to achieve internal validity and as having a relation to student outcomes. This relation is increasingly modeled; we reviewed reading intervention studies for students in pre-K-12 in which measures of implementation fidelity were included in final data analysis. A systematic…

Early childhood education [ECE] can foster the social-emotional adjustment and development of young refugee children. Still, the large numbers of newly arriving refugee families challenge the ECE capacities of host countries. In Germany, state authorities have subsidized flexible ECE programs for refugee children in response to this situation. The…

Federal guidance allows Head Start grant recipients to apply to the Office of Head Start to shift funding (i.e., convert enrollment slots) from Head Start services for preschool-age children to Early Head Start services for pregnant women, infants, and toddlers. Yet scant information is available about how grant recipients navigate the conversion…

Early childhood educators play a crucial role in language and literacy development and in promoting academic readiness. Shared book reading presented in early childhood classrooms can positively impact a child's language and literacy growth. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the effectiveness of a shared book reading program…