In this article, we adopt culturally relevant perspectives on developmental science that acknowledge and value the diversity of backgrounds and experiences of young children and their families to identify opportunities to advance the measurement of early childhood development. We focus on direct child assessments that can drive more equitable…

Improving early mathematical competence is a major priority worldwide; thus, assessing early math abilities is critical. Although various international standardized instruments serve this purpose, their usage in underdeveloped countries is prohibitive due to their resource-intensive requirements. In this report, we explore the development of the…

Computerized assessments and digital games have become more prevalent in childhood, necessitating a systematic investigation of the effects of gamified executive function assessments on performance and engagement. This study examined the feasibility of incorporating gamification and a machine learning algorithm that adapts task difficulty to…

Many preschool agencies nationwide continue to experience closures and/or conversions to virtual or hybrid instruction due to the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Despite the importance of understanding young children's learning and development during the COVID emergency, limited knowledge exists on adaptable practices for…

Early childhood teacher candidates (TCs) need preparatory experiences using authentic assessments to inform their instructional practices with rural learners and their families. The shift to virtual field placements in response to COVID-19 restrictions pushed faculty in teacher preparation programs to reimagine how to engage TCs in meaningful…

This is a comparative education study that aims to compare the digital documentation systems used in the preschool education programs and institutions in Turkey, Germany and Spain and to reveal the similarities and differences between these systems. The study was planned as a qualitative research in terms of its descriptive aspect, and as a…

This paper provides an empirical account of the complex nature of early childhood teachers' work with growing accountability demands for collecting, reporting, and using child assessment data in the U.S. context. Particularly, this paper focuses on preschool teachers' experience of changes in their roles and pedagogical work in implementing a…

One tool that many families own, across the globe, is a basic mobile phone. The use of low-cost basic mobile phones for educational purposes in humanitarian settings is critical where access to connectivity and higher cost devices is limited. The portability of mobile phones, combined with their communication features, offers multiple uses to…

Over the past 8 years, U.S. kindergarten classrooms have been impacted by policies mandating or recommending the administration of a specific kindergarten entry assessment (KEA) in the initial months of school as well as the increasing reliance on digital technology in the form of mobile apps, touchscreen devices, and online data platforms. Using…

In preschool classes, sociometric peer ratings are used to measure children's peer relationships. The current study examined a computerized version of preschool sociometric ratings. The psychometric properties were compared of computerized sociometric ratings and traditional peer ratings for preschoolers. The distributions, inter-item…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the Nonword Repetition Test (NRT; Dollaghan & Campbell, 1998) using a sample of 4- and 5-year-olds with and without specific language impairment (SLI) and to evaluate its feasibility for use in universal screening. Method: The NRT was administered to 29 children with SLI…

The theme for the 2005 Central States Conference, "Year of Languages," and the title of this volume, "The Year of Languages: Challenges, Changes, and Choices," reinforce the commitment and passion that language educators demonstrate in their profession. Whether teaching in a small rural school or developing innovative programs…