It is important that educators create a good basis for young students to develop their digital competence. This two-year case study aimed to find ways to foster the digital competence of young students in the early years of primary school education. The results show that spontaneous problems provided opportunities for students to show their…

Young children have the capability of making decisions, informed choices, and self-assessing their progress on their choices. In this classroom of 4- and 5-year-olds, children used pictorial contracts, rubrics, and various self-assessment techniques as a method for continuous learning. Gathering and reflecting on their own evidence about their…

This paper outlines a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) learning experience for children in the early years of school. It builds on STEM education in early childhood with a shared purpose, "to help children to explore and make sense of their world using childrelevant and appropriate contexts" (Preston, 2018 p. 137).…

Recognizing the growth of technology use in early learning settings, the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services collaborated in the development of the "Early Learning and Educational Technology Policy Brief" to promote developmentally appropriate use of technology in homes and early learning…

There has been increased interest in recent years on gardening with children and a variety of programs have been started to support different types of programmatic goals. Goals of gardening programs include environmental stewardship, personal growth/social skills, an integrated learning environment, nutrition/health, science education, practical…

Children naturally explore and learn about their environments through inquiry, and computer technologies offer an accessible vehicle for extending the domain and range of this inquiry. Over the past decade, a growing number of interactive games and educational software packages have been implemented in early childhood education and addressed a…

Suggests becoming a master player is a critical learning task for young children. "Push-down" programs (direct teaching, work sheets, and drill), designed to give children a head start in school, fail to consider the active-learning mode in which young children are most competent. Notes that a developmentally appropriate classroom for 3- to 5-year…

This guide provides field-tested frameworks for planning and for reflection to assist preschool teachers in integrating popular curricular approaches. Chapter 1 of the guide describes the key components of a good preschool curriculum related to learning, a rich classroom environment, respectful caring relationships with children and families,…

This book addresses the issues of appropriate use of computers with young children and how children and early childhood educators interact with the computer in early childhood settings. Part 1, "Young Children as Active Learners," contains chapter 1: "Listen to the Children: Observing Young Children's Discoveries with the…

Since 5-year-olds are in the "preoperational" stage of development, they think differently from older children and adults. This means teachers should be encouraged to interact differently with younger kids. The importance of creating developmentally appropriate programs stressing playing and talking is discussed. (MLH)