Background: This study was designed to develop a program to increase the confidence level among kindergarten teachers to teach handwriting in kindergarten. Methods: A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental research design was utilized. Five teachers employed at the kindergarten center in a school district in Illinois participated in the study. Data…

Efforts to improve education should not neglect to provide the rich play opportunities that benefit children in so many ways. In Tanzania, the pre-primary curriculum, for example, guides teachers to use play as the primary method of teaching and learning. Despite this policy mandate for play, however, abundant evidence indicates that Tanzanian…

Overcoming challenges to quality early education in developing nations, TEACH Rwanda, one high-performing education system, offers a model of childhood learning through sensitive teacher dispositions, child-centred play, and culturally relevant materials. This manuscript provides a unique window into the practices of a quality early childhood…

The symposium provides an overview of the Early Years STEM Australia (ELSA) program. The conceptual underpinnings of the program are framed within STEM practices, rather than traditional thinking concerning the integration of discipline content knowledge. We will argue that our focus on practices is more aligned with the play-based and intentional…

This study describes the development and evaluation of a behavioral parent training protocol via telecommunication for three parents of preschool children with autism, with limited access to behavioral expertise. A single-subject, multiple baseline experimental design across child behaviors, replicated across parents, was used to evaluate the…

Offering a step-by-step guide to the planning and implementation of dramatic play in the elementary classroom, this book shows how the art of dramatic playing can be used as a process for integrating learning across the curriculum. The first section of the book, Playing Dramatically, discusses integrating learning and drama, areas of learning…

Describes two-step exercise for applying imagination to summer-camp programing. Step 1 involves casting programs in imaginary environment, altering them for new setting. Step 2 involves role playing, encouraging participants to "wear" new cultural roles such as American Indians, cowboys, or sailors. Emphasizes value of imagination for improving…

This article presents two models for creating new developmentally appropriate preschool movement programs: CHAOS (Children Helping Adults Open Senses) at Eastern Connecticut State University and "KinderPlay" at Florida International University. CHAOS and KinderPlay utilize skill themes and movement concepts as their focus and incorporate…

Nine author-contributed papers focus on the needs of preschool gifted and talented children. M. Karnes presents "The Challenge" of educating this population, reviews characteristics of gifted/talented children, and offers guidelines for developing programs for students, including gifted minority and gifted handicapped children. A variety of…

This report, representing a 12-month case study of a new Scottish primary school, draws together educational issues concerning problems and possibilities of open-plan schooling by locating them in the day-to-day work of a particular open-plan school. During 70 days of field work, the researcher spent time observing classes, interviewing parents,…