High profile documents in early childhood education describe Intentional Teaching (IT), yet little research has been undertaken to give specificity to the definition so that application is possible, for example, to determine and prioritize information to include in professional development, assess fidelity of the implementation of that…

Coaching is one of several professional development approaches being used in early childhood to facilitate improved teacher instruction to promote child outcomes. Despite its use, little is known about how coaching promotes teacher knowledge and skills (Sheridan, Edwards, Marvin, & Knoche, 2009). We reviewed the early childhood coaching literature…

This study describes a Head Start teacher professional development program conducted by a well-respected theatre-in-education organization. The professional development program provided teachers with opportunities to observe and participate in classroom drama sessions, introduced them to drama strategies and techniques, and guided them through a…

This article reviews the findings from our research in Head Start classrooms and their potential theoretical importance. Practical suggestions are offered to administrators and teachers as to ways to promote friendships in classroom settings. Some approaches are likely to work better for boys and others for girls. Understanding how children select…

The following research-to-practice summary addresses the findings from the original intervention study and provides specific guidance for early childhood practitioners. These recommendations respond to a current and growing concern on how to implement developmental, cultural, and linguistically appropriate curricula, namely, recommendations focus…

This article discusses the use of data-based feedback and support to teachers in Head Start classrooms to facilitate increased use of effective instructional and managerial practices. The authors conducted a study to examine the impact of providing Head Start preschool classroom teachers with data regarding their use of established instructional…

We investigated Early Head Start home visitors' use of evidence-based practices and the efficacy of a web-based system to support these practices. Home visitors learned to use 3 evidence-based practices: (a) frequent assessment of children's early communication for screening and progress monitoring, (b) 2 home-based language-promoting…

This article discusses the kinds of instructional activities that young children need to develop basic language and literacy skills based on recent research and program evaluations. This includes approaches to develop alphabetic understanding, phonological awareness, vocabulary, and oral language. Activities and materials from the Pre-kindergarten…

Literacy is a concept that is continually evolving (Barr, Watts-Taffe, & Yokota, 2000). It is widely agreed that literacy emerges from a variety of abilities (Dickinson & McCabe, 2001). This perspective on development has implications for interventions because, if literacy-related skills emerge as interrelated systems, then optimal…