Eco(logical)-cultural Theory suggests that a daily routine results from individuals adapting cultural ideas to the constraints of a local context or ecology. Using Ecocultural Theory, this research examined family child care providers' descriptions of daily activities and overall approach to understand cultural models. The results highlighted a…

Drawing on data collected for a larger study investigating kindergarten teachers' online discussions of play, the present qualitative study examines teachers' discussions of gender. Findings suggest that teachers' project onto their kindergarten students many of their own gender prejudices about play. These teachers reinforced gendered attitudes…

Early childhood transition services for children play a vital role in their successful entry to school; however, little is known regarding factors that may impact the use of various important transition practices. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a community demographic characteristic (specifically, rurality) on…

This article reports on the views of early years practitioners in England from settings that were identified as "reluctant to engage" with one of the government's key policies, the introduction of Early Years Professional Status (EYPS), to drive forwards workforce reform. Focus groups, interviews and a survey were undertaken in 2009 with…

The 2012 National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES:2012) Data File User's Manual provides documentation and guidance for users of the NHES:2012 data files. The manual provides information about the purpose of the study, the sample design, data collection procedures, data processing procedures, response rates, imputation, weighting and…

This article reports on a study, among the first in the United States, to examine staff working in early care and education infrastructure organizations, a growing segment of the workforce. This exploratory study used an online survey of 1,091 staff in three different types of organizations in California that receive public funding--child care…

This reflective paper discusses findings about differences and similarities in perspectives on play among early childhood educators in Japan, the United States, and Sweden. Analysis of survey data collected from educators in those nations yielded six themes regarding the meanings and uses of play: (1) process of learning, (2) source of…

State coordinators of early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) programs completed a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, or SWOT, analysis that examined 12 areas within state EHDI programs. Concerning periodic early childhood hearing screening, 47 coordinators listed 241 items and themes were identified within each SWOT…

An online survey of early childhood education (ECE) trainers was conducted to assess their professional development needs and determine any differences between new and experienced trainers. Trainers identified teaching techniques and resources commonly used. The survey information is guiding the development of ECE trainer criteria in a…

In 2003, Congress amended the Child Abuse Protection and Treatment Act (CAPTA) to require that all child victims of substantiated abuse or neglect under the age of 3 years be assessed for developmental concerns. To date, there has been little study of CAPTA's implementation in Part C early intervention programs. The "Professional…

Grasping both the extent and the actual situation of psychosomatic disorders, neurotic habits and developmental disorders of infancy and childhood is vital for their prevention and for taking appropriate measures to deal with the current situation. The purpose of this study is to explore the current situation of infant mental health in Japanese…

The primary objective of this study is to describe how reading programs are implemented in Reading First schools and in a group of schools serving similar populations of students. The surveys collected detailed information about reading programs from nationally representative samples of schools to illustrate how this billion dollar a year program…

People nowadays communicate with each other in many ways. Beyond sending letters and postcards, Internet services such as e-mail, blogs, chatrooms, instant messaging, and video conferencing are used. It should be no surprise that children love to get mail too, and it is nice to know that the envelope-and-stamp variety has not lost its charm.…

Practices endorsed by 192 teachers of young children with visual impairments who completed an online early literacy survey included facilitating early attachment (70%), providing early literacy support to families (74%), and providing adaptations to increase accessibility (55%). Few teachers reported using assistive technology, providing…

The national standards of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) provide for defining the role of the school counselor, evaluating the content of counseling programs, and effectively meeting the needs of students. This study surveyed 495 school counselors in all levels including Kindergarten through 12th grade in Texas public schools to…