Cooking is a powerful teaching activity that can be used as an integral part of an early childhood curriculum. In this study, we designed and implemented a cooking-infused program in order to investigate the ways that such a program supports preschoolers' math concepts and skills and their attitudes toward mathematics. Data were collected over…

This Early Childhood Education (ECE) study explores the impact of changing from a teacher-centered to a child-centered curriculum, on the professional perceptions of ECE educators working in a private ECE facility in Lebanon. The researchers conducted two rounds of focus groups and individual interviews to explore the perceptions of the…

This study examined the challenges of pedagogical documentation from the perspectives of Turkish early childhood teachers. Pedagogical documentation was initially introduced as a teaching, learning, and assessment tool in early childhood education settings in Turkey through a three-year project. A total of 22 early childhood teachers working in a…

This article will describe an approach to planning and assessment that is designed to support an emergent, play-based curriculum while helping teachers make informed instructional decisions. Using assessment that supports curriculum allows early childhood professionals to infuse early learning content standards into meaningful, relevant and…

Teachers' knowing about students and their families is critical to ensuring relevant classroom instruction. The "Family Storytelling through Dichos" approach is explored as a culturally and linguistically appropriate mechanism for learning about students' backgrounds. This article posits that this approach may be a viable one, since it is rooted…

This article explores the meaning of child-centeredness in Early Childhood Education (ECE), by shedding light on the nuanced tensions between teacher control and children's freedom. While ECE professionals advocate the importance of children's individual interests and needs in education, they diverge somewhat in their perspectives about the…

Discusses trends in early childhood education rooted in much older traditions, such as the project approach and Reggio Emilia approach, as well as the history of Head Start, and other changes in early childhood programs and services. Considers the need for practitioners to understand the theoretical and ideological foundations of pedagogical…

Notes that as more young children with disabilities are included in classrooms for children who are developing typically, practitioners must continue to identify and refine strategies for making inclusion successful. Discusses a successful inclusion program that is observation based and child initiated. Discusses a procedure that facilitates the…

Examines the impact of feminist theory on instructors and students of early childhood education. Finds that content and pedagogy together impact the classroom by emphasizing participatory, nonauthoritarian, and experiential teaching techniques and subjective, student-centered learning. Reviews research on the phases of feminist teaching and…

Acknowledges that children with special needs flourish and benefit from early-childhood environments that empower learning. Discusses center learning, which allows children to be actively engaged in self-directed learning based on strength, ability, and interest. Suggests that center learning can enhance aspects related to emergent literacy…

Suggests that children involved in the process of creating games from other cultures gain an increased interest in learning about other cultures and increased cognitive, social, and interpersonal skills. Notes that stressing commonalities by making games rather than focusing on differences fosters sensitivity and a greater understanding of others.…

Describes the Reggio Emilia (Italy) model for preschool education. Addresses the perceived difficulties of transferring the program to U.S. schools, focusing on differences in patterns of thinking, educational attitudes, and cultural conventions between the two cultures. Provides perspectives for change and adaptation. (SD)