When designing solutions for early learning, part of the process is clearly identifying a problem that impacts the wellbeing of young children that is both well-researched and in need of innovative solutions. However, with such a vast and complex field, identifying an issue to focus on can be difficult. The questions adults ask children have a…

Research shows that home environments play a critical role in developing children's early literacy skills. Given the importance of developing early literacy skills to bolster children's chances for subsequent academic success, this article highlights the role of parent-child shared book reading. Summarizing research on different types of…

Is it an asset or a burden to be bilingual? Although bilingualism is appreciated by many people worldwide, immigrant families often struggle with the maintenance of their heritage language (HL) and culture. In the United States. For example, the HL in most families is completely lost within three generations (Fishman, 1991). The loss of a child's…

All around the world, communities have been experiencing linguistic erosion in varying degrees, as English usage--and use of other ex-colonial languages, like French in francophone Africa, Spanish in the bulk of Latin America, and Portuguese in Angola, Brazil, Mozambique, and East Timur--steadily surpass local language usage in institutions of…

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history, yet the United States has failed to ratify it, despite the efforts of countless supporters. Opponents of ratification in the United States have been effective at preventing ratification by asserting that the CRC will damage family…

The growth of Twitter and similar sites has influenced many institutions. Many employers, for example, currently value digital literacy and look to hire employees who are skilled in social media. Since corporations increasingly value this type of literacy, researchers such as Greenhow and Gleason (2012) argue that educators need to respond by…

The outlook for teaching and learning in the homes of family child care (also called "day care" and "child minding" [the latter term is used in the United Kingdom]) is both promising and precarious. The authors believe such programs hold potential for high-quality learning, yet they suffer from lack of recognition and support.…

In trying to make sense of how to navigate the duality of approaches to how children learn respect toward others--the "takes a village" community-oriented approach (that includes teachers) or the "I know my child best/go it alone" family autonomy approach--teachers need to understand that families are trying to navigate "parenting" their children…

Children's literature is a significant segment of the book market, and includes authors with household names like Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle. Even celebrities are in on the fun, with their own titles on the best seller lists. Along with the increased visibility of children's literature, parents have become better informed and more interested in the…

Formerly, literacy was considered the basic ability to read and write. Now, literacy is defined as "an individual's ability to read, write, speak in English, compute and solve problems at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job, in the family of the individual and in society." With this broader definition, mathematical literacy, or…

Making the transition from preschool to kindergarten is a milestone in a young child's life, and it does not always go smoothly. Consequently, the authors developed Shared Summer School, a unique approach to kindergarten transition, in which preschool and kindergarten teachers jointly taught children prior to their kindergarten entry. Shared…

Examines efforts by educators in Taiwan to implement the project approach in early childhood settings. Discusses observed changes and benefits of parental involvement in their children's learning; describes the activities of one project that was implemented; and outlines the strategies used by the teachers to promote parental involvement in the…

Researchers agree that increased parental involvement is necessary if low-SES, underrepresented student populations are to overcome a history of reading deficiencies. However, the fact remains that parental involvement alone is insufficient for achieving desired academic outcomes. Teachers must design interactive/constructivist homework…

If global warming has an upside, it may be the development of an enhanced awareness of the environment and the dangers faced due to profligate and destructive habits. The ways in which most people live in the industrialized world separate those from the natural world and hence make it difficult for them to understand and care about the planet that…

Examines traditional and current beliefs about the reading process, and presents specific strategies that parents and teachers can use to help children learn to read. Parents and teachers can use patterned books and the reading and writing of sentences to foster reading skills. (MDM)