At preschool age, it is generally accepted that children's main pursuit is play. In particular, pretend play has a major role in supporting a preschooler's learning processes. Early pretend play involves object substitution, before later progressing to the incorporation of invisible objects. The purpose of the presented study was to validate that…

In Pangbisa village in Paro, Bhutan, a unique institution is a testament to His Majesty the King's recognition of the critical role of education in enriching the lives of people and the society, nurturing successive generations of leaders and building a strong, secure, and prosperous nation. The Royal Academy consists of three centers--the School,…

This qualitative case study addressed the problem that there is a lack of best practices guidelines for post-secondary education institutions to provide a holistic education for students who experience trauma. Traditional education fails students by neglecting holistic education and connectedness. Traumatic life experiences have created gaps…

In anticipation of the United Nations Transforming Education Summit in September 2022, this report explores the work of building and (re)building education systems to support holistic student development. It focuses specifically on the journeys of seven education systems--situated in high-, middle-, and low-middle-income countries with democratic…

This qualitative study examines the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics in learning designs from the perspective of learning sciences. The literature on the topic indicates that there is not enough research on including diverse learning outcomes in the designs for learning. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand how AI…

This report examines the importance and multidimensional nature of well-being, in general, and the well-being of Black, Native, Latinx, and Asian youth involved in systems of care, in particular. These young people must navigate three significant challenges: typical developmental issues and stressors associated with child and adolescent…

As a society we want our children and young people to thrive and fulfil their potential. How then, can we best identify and respond to their needs in order to achieve this? In this lecture, Professor Claire Cameron takes the case of children in state care and the longer-term impacts on those young people of having been in care. In particular, she…

This article traces the evolution of holistic student development as the centerpiece of the college experience in the 1960s to its current all-too-often overlooked function in postsecondary education, and it explains why students, employers, and the democracy all benefit from educating the whole person. Holistic student development encompasses…

Scholars conventionally find play difficult to define because the concept is complex and ambiguous. The author proffers a definition of play that takes into consideration its dynamic character, posits six basic elements of play (anticipation, surprise, pleasure, understanding, strength, and poise), and explores some of their emotional, physical,…

This book brings together a group of extraordinary educators and scholars who offer important insights about what we can do to defend childhood from societal challenges. The authors explain new findings from neuroscience and psychology, as well as emerging knowledge about the impact on child development of cultural and linguistic diversity,…

A role model is someone an individual looks up to and wants to be like--but also someone an individual connects with as a person. There is a special relationship between a child and a teacher, particularly in the early childhood years. Teachers must think carefully about how their manner affects the children in their classrooms. This article…

Transescence is marked not only by disrupting acceleration in physical development and physiological change, but also by emotional and social pressures resulting from the transfer of authority from the family to the peer group. At no time in the schooling of our children do we find greater differences in the physical, social, emotional, and…

Just as infants and the elderly have special health care needs based on their stages in the life cycle, adolescents also have particular health needs. While some of those needs are simply a result of the bodily changes that define adolescence, others are true medical conditions which are most commonly found in this age group. Among achievements…

This study is a follow up to the Last Best Chance report published in 1989. A task force of 29 education leaders was challenged to help chart the course for middle level education in North Carolina. While examining middle level education (ages 11 through 14), task force members continuously asked, "What should it look like in order for all…

In response to increased interest in early childhood programs, this report, prepared by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Instruction, presents the goals of kindergartens and the rationale for their existence. Both supportive and nonsupportive statements on compulsory kindergarten are included. Child development charts describe the physical,…