Previous research has highlighted the need to improve teacher education programs with the intent of preparing infant-toddler professionals as working with infants-toddlers and families requires a unique skill set. The following mixed methods research study supported these assertions by examining the early childhood education (ECE) undergraduate…

High-quality preschool programs are heralded as an effective policy tool to promote the development and life-long wellbeing of children from low-income families. Yet evaluations of recent preschool programs produce puzzling findings, including negative impacts, and divergent, weaker results than were shown in demonstration programs implemented in…

Initiatives aimed at improving STEM education have largely focused on school-based programs, with the majority of STEM professional development targeting primary and secondary school educators. However, there is growing interest in STEM education in the early childhood years. This paper reviews the available evidence to explore the extent to which…

This article describes the significance of equipping preservice teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively approach behavioral challenges with early elementary students (i.e., kindergarten to third grade). Early elementary years are crucial for a child's academic and social development, and students who exhibit challenging…

Music education for the preschool age group and piano teaching in this context is generally of great interest and in demand. In Turkey, music teacher candidates take piano lessons during their undergraduate education, two of which are compulsory and six are elective. In this process, however, a course on how to teach the piano is not included in…

This study examined parents' perspectives on children's learning in Pre-K, their expectations for Pre-K, and how to prepare their child(ren) for kindergarten. Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 22 ethnically diverse parents from 8 schools in New York City. This paper presents a thematic analysis of these interviews. Findings…

Instructional coaching is steadily becoming a staple in schools everywhere. In elementary schools, coaches are often organized by content or grade level coaching programs. While research continues to show that instructional coaches positively support teachers, research does not address the structure behind coaching programs. This mixed-methods…

Purpose: Recently, a confluence of factors has focused elementary school leaders on early education. One factor is that nearly 60 percent of all public elementary schools in the U.S. today have a Pre-K program in the building. Yet, prior research reveals that leaders are often not prepared to effectively lead early education programs. This study…

Inclusive education is considered to be an approach that consists of serving only the children with special educational needs in educational settings. However, a perspective that supports diversity among all children and requires respect for differences is increasingly implemented today on an international basis. Inclusive education is for all…

Although the NASP 2020 Standards emphasize consultation as a core competency, few studies have examined consultation preservice training on consultant outcomes. This article describes the content and implementation of a training program focused on ecological-positive behavior consultation, called "Positive Environment and Behavior for…

In Finnish early childhood education and care, many changes have been occurring in recent years (Figure 1). The Day Care Act was drafted in 1973, and things largely remained the same until 2015. On August 1, 2015, the new law, the Act on Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), came into force. But before that, some small changes had occurred,…

Although sex education has been found to improve young people's sexual and reproductive health, no formal programmes exist in Saudi Arabia. This study aims to assess the views of stakeholders on the need for sex education programmes for adolescents in Saudi Arabia, suggested forms of provision, and views on the information provided in Science and…

Little is known about how the expansion of state pre-kindergarten (pre-k) programs affects low-income children with disabilities in Head Start. Using almost 30 years of administrative data of all Head Start programs and a differences-in-differences design, this study tests the possibility that, as state pre-k differentially draws relatively more…

This paper analyzes the extent to which sustainability is present in the curricula of the 16 Education Degree programs belonging to the EDINSOST project: 6 Early Childhood Education Degrees, 7 Primary Education Degrees, 2 Pedagogy Degrees and 1 Social Education Degree. The results obtained suggest that sustainability is present in all Degrees, but…

Patty Smith Hill (1868-1946) was a leader in the kindergarten movement and an advocate of the value of free play in the education of young children. She was a founding member of the International Kindergarten Union, which eventually became the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI). She also served as ACEI President in 1909. She…