Although the number of homeschool students in the United States has increased to approximately 2 million K-12 students as of spring 2010, there has been limited research on homeschool families and physical education. In particular, investigations of parent perceptions of homeschool physical education programs are lacking. The purpose of this study…

In this paper, a. b. c. jig-saw puzzle was produced for early childhood education using local materials. This study was a production based type of research, to serve as a supplemental or total learning resource. Its production followed four phases of development referred to as information, design, production and evaluation. The storyboard cards,…

This article describes how early childhood teachers engaged in a public preK professional development program. We examine how developing teacher identities mediated engagement with the discourses of developmentally appropriate practice, early mathematics, and funds of knowledge and how they connected present practice to an imagined future. We…

Interest in scaling up prekindergarten programs for children from low income families is dramatically increasing, especially with the announcement by President Obama of support for "universal preschool." Research in early education supports the idea of developmentally appropriate practice as reflected in instructional groupings and…

In 2011, Indigenous Initial Education teachers in Oaxaca, Mexico, for the first time participated in an alternative teacher professional development effort (called a "diplomado") to initiate community appropriate bilingual programs for pregnant mothers and infants under 3 years old. Collaborating with parents and village authorities, the…

Considering the increased influence of digital technologies on daily life (Fallows, 2004) and young children's increased use of interactive technologies ("Children Now," 2007), early childhood educators are beginning to think about the role of technology in their classrooms. Many preschool programs are beginning to purchase iPads, or…

The purpose of this book is to illuminate issues and concerns about decisions that administrators and teachers must make regarding their preschool programs. To that end, the book provides insights on the theory, research, and practice of preschool education. Individual papers concern: (1) a comprehensive overview of preschool practices; (2) what…

Reviews a study of preschool children's movement responses to music in a natural learning setting. Describes ways in which the findings of the study can be used for the development of a music curriculum that provides a developmentally and individually appropriate program. (BB)

This paper examines how various elements of five early- childhood-to-elementary school transition programs are being developed and carried out. Five transition programs were identified and investigated in regard to shared leadership and decisionmaking among stakeholders, comprehensive and integrated services, family involvement and empowerment,…

The Head Start on Science and Communication Program (HSSC) is a model that fosters science learning for young children through a systematic approach to language development. The HSSC program emphasizes the development of language skills through an explicit teacher-directed and exploratory child-centered approach to acquiring science knowledge and…